You are everything to me
by chquine-harvinellisse
Summary: Sequel to You will always have me by you. Spectra realizes what he feels for Alice, but something goes awry and they find themselves at Earth. With the Brawlers keeping her away from him, can he tell her how he feels?
1. Instilled fear

**Okay!**

**So this is the sequel to "You will always have me by you" =D**

**So before you read this, I advise you read the prequel first… =D**

**I deleted one of my stories when I realized how futile continuing it was… =D**

**I re-wrote this and re-posted it since I found out that I really have no talent in writing a romance fic on non-existent couples… =D**

**But if it turns out to be romantic the way I like it… We'll just have to see… =D**

**Anyway, I do not own Bakugan or anything associated to it…**

**Enjoy! =D**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Instilled fear

He woke up with a start. The wind was cool to the skin, the sun was mild and its soft rays made contact with his eyes.

He cringed and shielded his eyes from the blinding rays.

His sky blue eyes caught sight of the sleeping red head beside him. He couldn't help but smile when he saw how peaceful she slept on his shoulder.

He leaned against the back of the tree. His blonde spikes brushed slightly against the bark of the tree.

The red headed girl who sat beside him had his coat wrapped around her. He was genuinely worried about her.

Weeks had passed since his fellow-Vexos tried to eliminate her from his grasp and from his life. She has been living under his protection and they never dared to harm her again.

But these past few days, she would suddenly doze off or fall unconscious in his arms. She would tell him that she was fine, but he was not the one to take risks.

He guarded her heavily. He made sure that she wasn't exhausting herself especially during their 'working hours'.

She was his assistant, his younger sister, his cook, his best friend…

She shifted slightly.

He chuckled and gently shook her shoulder.

"Alice, wake up…" he said in a soft voice.

Alice, the red headed girl slightly opened her chocolate brown eyes. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

She turned to the blonde beside her and smiled "Good morning, Keith…"

Alice was the only one who he allowed to call him by his discarded name 'Keith Clay'.

"Good afternoon is more like it, Alice…" he corrected as amusement materialized in his voice.

She giggled and stood up.

She stretched out her hand to him, "Well, we still have work to do, so let's go."

Keith, or more accurately, Spectra nodded. He took her hand, like always, and stood up. Holding her hand was so natural for him, as it was for her.

His thoughts swam inside his head. He was thinking too much and it surprised him how he could think up so many things at the same time.

"Keith, are you coming?" asked Alice as she turned back to him.

He caught himself from his excessive zoning out. He was still under the tree and she was under the radiant sun.

"Keith?" Alice called out as she approached him.

He smiled at her as an excuse, "Too much sleep, I guess…"

Alice giggled as she and Keith walked back to his quarters.

"So what are we going to do today?" inquired Alice

Spectra went to his desk and picked up a folder. He knew Alice wouldn't want to do what he had in mind.

Alice tilted her head, "Keith?"

"We're going to work on the parts of the Dimensional transporter system that I designed."

Alice's face fell.

_Why do you want to send me home?_

Keith turned to her and saw her crestfallen expression. He sighed, "Alice…"

"Am I being a burden to you?" Alice blurted out.

Spectra shook his head as he put the folder down and walked towards her.

"No," he replied "You're not being a burden to me or anyone else…"

'Then why?" asked Alice as she raised her eyes to meet with his.

_Don't…_

_Don't show me your eyes…_

_Don't make me feel helpless…_

_Don't make me want to wrap my arms around you…_

"Alice," he patiently said as he wiped off the tears that fell from her eyes, "You and I both know that you're not safe here. We don't know what Prince Hydron might do to you… The last time he got his grasp on you, you almost died…" his voice trailed off "And I don't want that to happen Alice…"

"But there's nothing left for me there…" Alice tried to argue, "Here I have you…"

Spectra chuckled, but his smile was wan, "You still have your friends there Alice… You're safer back home… Here you only have me and danger all around you… It would be better if you go back to earth."

Alice looked away. She knew that Spectra did have a point, but she doesn't want to leave.

"Besides, things have become more dangerous," Spectra added.

"What do you mean?" asked Alice.

"Lately, someone suspicious has been sighted," he replied "Guards have been seen unconscious with no apparent reason. We don't know who or what he is and we don't know who or what he's after, and I can't risk you with uncertainty."

Alice nodded knowingly.

The door slammed open and Gus stood there. He was breathing heavily.

"Gus?" Spectra called out.

"Master Spectra," Gus said breathlessly as he tried to bow, "You have to come and see this!"

Spectra turned to Alice and said "Stay here okay?"

Alice nodded, albeit she was half-fearful that Spectra would leave her.

Spectra put his mask and his coat.

The door closed and Alice sat on the edge of the bed. Spectra had brought one for her so they wouldn't have to share.

She lay flat on her back while her mind buzzed with plenty of questions.

_Should I go back?_

_I'm sure my friends will still be there…_

_But why do I feel like I don't want to go back?_

_Is it because Keith is the one insisting it?_

_Why do I want so badly to not go back?_

Spectra and Gus arrived at the southern wall of the Vexos headquarters. Gus moved aside to make Spectra see what the source of the commotion was.

Spectra's eyes widened. There was some writing on the wall. It was written in Earth language, so naturally he couldn't understand it.

"Has anyone else found out about this?" asked Spectra in a level tone.

Gus nodded "Prince Hydron has become alarmed. He called for an assembly of all the Vexos. I believe it will start in a few minutes, Master Spectra."

Spectra kept his eyes on the writings on the wall. He turned to Gus and asked, "Were we invited as well?"

"Yes, sir," replied Gus, "Because of your involvement with Ms. Alice, you are _required_ to attend the assembly."

Spectra clenched his fist. He turned away from the wall and said, "Go on ahead. I still have something to do."

"Sir?" Gus was dumbfounded.

Spectra turned to him slightly, "I won't be long…"

He headed back to his room.

_They'll probably request Alice to read the writings…_

_Then again it might just be another trap of that spoiled Prince…_

He opened the door and saw Alice intently looking through the folder where his design for the new Dimension transporter system was,

He was surprised to say the least. Was Alice finally resolving to go back to earth?

He hovered over her and saw her working through most of the equations.

Alice turned to him and asked, "What happened?"

Spectra jerked his head back in surprise. He regained his composure and answered, "Prince Hydron called for an assembly."

Alice nodded absent-mindedly, apparently she was too absorbed by the equations she was solving. "I'll cook lunch when I'm done here…"

Spectra nodded as he took out a syringe from the pocket of his coat.

"Actually, it might be better if you stayed here, Alice," said Spectra as Alice turned to him slowly, "I'm sorry, but I can't let you fall into their hands again."

Before Alice could react, Spectra plunged the syringe into her arm.

Alice fell lax into Spectra's arms. He carried her to her bed and covered her with a blanket.

He locked the door to his room and went to the assembly room.

Hydron and the other Vexos were anxious with the writings on the southern wall.

"Well, it's about time you came, Spectra!" Hydron angrily said. He noticed that Alice wasn't there, "Where is that personal assistant of yours?"

Spectra bowed. He replied, "Alice is currently sick, Prince Hydron. She cannot participate here."

Hydron growled, "We're in the middle of a crisis here. How can you keep her from us at a time like this?"

Spectra took his place and said "I am sorry, your highness, but there is nothing more I can do."

"Do you know how crucial this is?" asked Mylene

"I assure you, Mylene, I would bring Alice here, especially since this situation involves the safety and security of everyone…" Spectra said "But as of now, we have to plan a counterattack against this new unknown threat."

Volt nodded, "It seems like a good plan…"

"Then what do you propose we do?" Hydron asked angrily "We are like sitting ducks here who know nothing until it strikes us!"

Shadow chuckled silently, "The spoiled brat's reaching his boiling point…"

"WHAT?" Hydron exploded.

Mylene slightly bowed her head and said "Your majesty, you should not lose your composure. I think, Spectra's suggestion would be the best thing to follow right now…"

Hydron slumped back on his chair and sighed "Fine… But how are we supposed to find out what those writings mean?"

An unfamiliar voice echoed a chuckle heard inside the entire assembly room.

"You pathetic idiots are so clueless…" said the voice, "That message was for all of you Vexos and especially that sadistic Prince…"

Hydron looked around and shouted "Where are you? Show yourself coward!"

"Coward?" the voice echoed "You have the guts to call me coward, Prince Hydron…"

Mylene had her whip ready. Shadow had a pathetic look on his face. Lync hid under the table like a coward. Volt, Gus and Spectra were the only ones who seemed like real men.

"Well as compensation, I will tell you what the writings mean…" the voice said "I mean to make you all suffer… Don't worry; I won't make it quick in any way…"

The voice disappeared with an ominous chuckle.

Spectra was the first one to stand up and he ran back to his room.

_Alice!_

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><p><strong>That's a wrap!<strong>

**Sorry I know this isn't anywhere near its predecessor…**

**I'm a little out of my mind right now…**

**And I'm too absorbed by RPing…**

**Anyway, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding this fic as it is greatly appreciated… =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	2. Crime and punishment

**Update!**

**Sorry it took so long… =D**

**But like I said, I'll most probably be more active now since it's summer vacation… =D**

**And also, thanks to those first five who REVIEWED JetravenEx, DomiiCalifornia, You mean everything, Bocchan 832, and Warboss, I love you guys! =D**

**So on with it!**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Crime and punishment

"Spectra why are you in a hurry?" asked Helios as he floated beside his Brawler.

The masked blonde did not respond immediately. He kept running and when he reached to his quarters, he stared at it for a while.

"Spectra…" Helios pressed

"Sorry Helios," Spectra unlocked his door, "I just have this horrible feeling…"

He opened the door and was relieved to see Alice still sleeping on her bed, just the same way he left her.

He slumped on the edge of his bed as he felt stupid for his actions. He left the assembly hall without notice and just ran to his room to make sure that she was safe.

_What is wrong with me?_

Alice slowly opened her eyes. She sat up and saw Spectra, "Wha—what happened?"

"You dozed off again…" lied Spectra as he removed his mask.

"I do that a lot lately don't I?" Alice smiled sheepishly

"Yeah… Are you alright?" asked Spectra as concern lazed his voice.

He felt immensely guilty for lying to Alice especially since he was the only one she trusted here in Vestal.

Alice nodded and smiled at him, "Yeah… I just feel a bit strange lately…"

"Strange how?"

Alice fell silent.

"Alice?" Spectra called out as he laid his hand atop hers, "Is something wrong?"

"It feels strange in a familiar way…" replied Alice, "It felt like the time I was still Masquerade…"

Spectra's eyes widened at the sound of it.

"This happened to me a lot of times when Masquerade was still in me," Alice elaborated, "I would usually doze off without any apparent reason…"

"So could this mean that he's coming back?" asked Spectra

"If he is, why would he?" asked Alice.

A sudden thought struck Spectra. He recalled what the voice said to Prince Hydron and the Vexos.

"… For revenge…" mumbled Spectra

"What for?"

He turned his eyes to her, "For you…"

Alice's eyes widened momentarily and she broke into amused laughter.

"I don't see anything funny about this matter…" Helios interjected.

"What _is_ so funny, Alice?" asked Spectra

"Sorry, sorry…" Alice said as she managed to stop her laughter, "It's just that your theory sounds so absurd."

"You share the same body and almost the same mind," Spectra tried to reason out, "The Vexos and Prince Hydron have done many terrible things to you…"

Alice turned to him with glazed eyes, "Are you saying that I wanted revenge?"

His eyes widened, "N—no I didn't mean to imply that…" He dropped his eyes and held her shoulder, "I'm sorry… I forgot that you're not like other people who are naturally vengeful…"

"And what the Vexos did wasn't anywhere near forgivable…" Helios added.

Alice nodded, "I know Helios…" she turned to Spectra and said, "It's okay Keith, I understand…"

"I'm really sorry, Alice…" Spectra said

Alice just smiled at him comfortingly, "It's okay…"

_That's right…_

_Someone like Alice is too kind for thoughts like revenge…_

_She would never think of something like that…_

Spectra decided to go back to the topic that was interrupted earlier, "So why do you think that it's so absurd for Masquerade to want revenge for you?"

Alice shrugged, "Well… I don't really know him that well… And I've never seen him show concern for anyone else, much less for me…"

"But he gave you Alpha Hydranoid…" Spectra pointed out

"I would hardly call that concern…" Alice smiled sadly, "And besides, I think he was more or less forced by the circumstances… Since I was the only one he could communicate with openly and freely and because I was a friend of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers…"

Spectra nodded. Her argument did seem logical.

"So his intentions are still a mystery to us…" Spectra concluded.

"Yes…"

Silence stretched between them. Alice kept her eyes on her fidgeting hands; her heart was beating madly against her sternum. The phenomenon was so foreign to her.

_What is this…?_

She took her mind off the uncommon phenomenon for a while and broke the silence; "Are you hungry?" was the only thing that came to mind.

Fortunately, the statement made sense. Spectra nodded and said, "Come to think of it, yes…"

Alice smiled as she stood up and went to the kitchen, "Afterwards we can continue working on the remaining equations on the Transporter System…"

She didn't see the look of sadness in Spectra's face as she waltzed to the kitchen.

_Sadness?_

_How vague…_

"Spectra…" Helios called out, but his tone told him that he knew exactly what Spectra was feeling.

"It's for the best Helios," Spectra reasoned out as he deciphered what Helios was trying to say with his tone, "She never was supposed to be here… Think of it as atonement for the pain I've brought her…"

"That's what you said before…"

"Yes…" Spectra said as he stood up and took off his coat, "Consider this as my final act of atonement…"

"But what about you?" asked the Pyrus Bakugan, doubting.

"I don't matter at all Helios. Alice is what matters…"

"Since when did you become a masochistic martyr Spectra? We both know that you…"

Helios was cut short when Alice called out from the kitchen, "Keith. Can you help me out?"

Spectra stood up and called after her, "I'll be right there, Alice…"

Helios just sighed as he hopped onto the nightstand, "Spectra's a thickhead…"

After eating lunch, Alice and Spectra worked through the equations for the Dimensional Transporter. Despite regret gnawing at him like a log in a beaver's hands, Spectra tried to work cheerfully lest Alice may suspect something's wrong.

"Alice," he couldn't help it anymore, "Why did you change your mind so suddenly?"

Alice stopped for a moment and considered his question. She didn't understand why either.

"W—Well… I thought it would be nice to go back home…" she replied half-heartedly. It was the only thing that came to her mind; but wasn't what she wanted to say.

Spectra's face fell but he hid it as he was used to hiding his emotions, "I see… That's good…"

_Why am I pushing her away?_

Even he didn't know the answer to his question.

* * *

><p>The next morning was very stressful.<p>

When Spectra woke up, he found out that Alice wasn't on her bed. He looked in the bathroom, knocking before he opened the door; saw that Alice wasn't there. He looked out the veranda and was alarmed to see that she wasn't there.

"Helios, did you see Alice?" asked the distressed blonde

Helios popped open and replied, "No… Why?"

"She's missing…" Spectra muttered.

He put on his coat and his mask. He briskly made his way to Gus' quarters, hoping that at least Gus saw even a glimpse of Alice.

"No, Master," replied Gus, "I haven't seen Miss Alice…"

"I see…" was Spectra's calm reply

He walked off and continued searching for her. He took out his gauntlet and tried tracking her down with using her wristband that he had given her not long ago.

But to his dismay, he couldn't found her by that means either.

His steps became slower and shorter.

_Alice, where are you?_

What worried him the most is that, she didn't even bother leaving a note. The door to his room was secured by a password that only he and Alice know. And it couldn't have been hacked since she had made sure that no one can hack into it.

_This means that she went out of her own free will…_

He stopped and turned to his right where a window stood. And what he saw on the other side made him rush outside.

Lync was tied onto a branch of the tree beside the river. He was bound by a straight jacket and his head was dipped into the rushing waters. The branch where he was tied onto was about to break the moment Spectra found him.

Help immediately came as well as the other Vexos.

"Oh man! I thought I was a goner!" Lync sputtered. Despite the fact that he almost drowned, he was still quite energetic.

"Who did this?" asked Mylene frankly.

"I don't know!" Lync exclaimed, "All I remember was eating breakfast and then the next thing I knew, I was here…"

"The guards haven't seen anything either, Volt stated.

"What is this about?" asked Prince Hydron who had just entered the scene.

The Vexos bowed down and Spectra spoke for them, "Prince Hydron, I was strolling around when I saw Lync here…"

And from there Lync made an outburst, "I was tied onto that tree while my head was dipped down that river! Someone wanted to kill me!"

Hydron lost his cool; it was visible on his face, "What do you mean someone? You mean to say that you have no idea who did this to you?"

"Well duh!" Lync retorted

"What did the guards say?" asked Hydron, his voice dripped with anger by the second.

"The guards said that they didn't see anyone or anything suspicious, Prince Hydron…" Volt replied.

"I've also checked the security cameras," Mylene said, "But they seemed to be inactive this morning…"

"USELESS!" Hydron fully raised his voice by now, "Every single one of you is useless! For all we know, this might have been done by that person in the assembly hall last night.

The heads of the Vexos snapped up at the sound of it. For once the Prince actually thought of something that actually made sense.

"Hurry up and find out who's behind all these scandalous occurrences…" Hydron commanded "And when you do, make sure that they'll pay dearly for it!"

After Hydron left, the Vexos stood up and made their leave. Lync's unnaturally high-pitched voice could still be heard as he babbled about how he could have died and how 'dead' the one who did that to him was.

Spectra sighed; seemingly forgot that Alice was missing when he saw her lying on her bed and fast asleep.

He walked towards his nightstand and picked Helios up, "Since when did she come back?"

Helios popped open and asked in a rather unorganized tone, "Who came back?"

"Alice…" Spectra replied briefly.

Helios turned and was greeted by the same sight that Spectra saw inside his room: Alice sleeping.

Helios turned back to his partner and said, "I didn't even see her enter the room…"

"I see… Were you sleeping?" asked the blonde as he removed his mask.

"No…" replied the Pyrus Bakugan, "I was just curled up in a ball… If anyone clicked the door open I would have heard it…"

Spectra too was confused. He knew that his Bakugan was not very fond of jokes and pranks; he was assured that Helios was saying the truth.

Things were getting mysterious and he wasn't that much of a fan of mysteries.

Alice opened her eyes drowsily. She sat up and yawned heartily. Her eyes fell upon Spectra who sat beside her bed and smiled, "Good morning…"

Spectra jumped slightly and managed a greeting, "Good morning," and he decided to move on with frank questions, "Alice where did you go?"

Said girl tilted her head. "Huh?"

"When I woke up you were gone…" Spectra slowly said, "And I couldn't find you anywhere…"

Alice's eyes widened as she seemed to be familiar with the phenomenon she was experiencing. She put a palm to her head and asked absent-mindedly, "Did anything unusual happen?"

Spectra placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and asked, "Why are you asking?"

"J—just answer please…" Alice begged, "Did anything happen?"

Sensing her desperation in her voice, Spectra decided to tell her the truth.

"I saw Lync nearly drowning this morning…" he said without mincing any words.

Alice seemed surprised and guilty about what Spectra said.

"Alice, tell me what's going on…" Spectra said as he lifted her chin with his finger.

His eyes widened when he saw the melancholic and slightly guilty expression on Alice's beautifully pale face.

The orange haired girl averted her eyes and said, "This has only happened to me once… The time when Masquerade could still take over me…"

Spectra's eyes widened, "Then do you mean…?" his voice trailed off.

"I'm not entirely sure…" Alice sobbed, "But I have a feeling it was him…"

Her head fell on his chest, her shoulders rose and fell; she was shaking like a leaf, terrified and completely unsure.

"A—Alice…" Spectra was clueless.

"I… I don't want that to happen again…" Alice whimpered helplessly, "I don't want to do things like that again…"

Spectra wrapped his arms around her and asked, "Is there anything we can do?"

Alice shook her head as she continued crying, "No… He comes and goes as he pleases… I can't control him…"

_I don't want revenge…_

_I don't want that…_

Spectra was simply lost. He knew Alice didn't want to have anything to do with these kinds of things anymore, but he didn't know how he could help her in any way.

"What should I do?" asked Alice

"I… I don't know Alice…" for once in his life he had absolutely no idea what to do, "I just don't know… I'm sorry…"

_What **is** one supposed to do when they're up against someone who they can't even see?_

"Alice, please don't cry…" Spectra whispered

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Alice said over and over again.

He slowly and gently stroked her hair and tried calming her down. He felt catastrophic as he saw Alice act like so.

After a while, it was Alice who broke free from his embrace. She wiped off the tears and said, "Sorry… I'm so pathetic…"

Spectra held both of her hands with one hand and said, "You don't want to do what he wants to do, so it's only normal for you to feel afraid…"

Alice smiled despite herself and said, "Thanks…"

"Now shall we resume working on the equations to at least ease your tensions?" asked Spectra.

Personally, he didn't want to have to do anything with the Dimensional Transporter. He was a masochist and he admitted it.

_Better be a masochist than a sadist that hurts her…_

Alice nodded as Spectra wiped off her tears.

* * *

><p><em>Why are you hesitating Alice?<em>

_They're criminals…_

_And criminals have to be punished no matter what…_

_Even if you object…_

_Even if you try to stop me…_

_You can't stop the one who has been a part of you for so long…_

_You can't stop me…_

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><p><strong>That's a wrap!<strong>

**I would also like to endorse my other story 'Exedra's apprentice,… =D**

**Simply because it's near completion…**

**And also 'A series of events that lead to one end', which is my first serious romance fic…**

**Although the latter only has one chapter at the moment… =D**

**So please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding the fic as it is greatly appreciated… =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	3. Making their lives a living hell

**Hi guys!**

**I am so sorry for the late update…**

**I have reviews for college this summer so I can't update as often…**

**Again I'm sorry…**

**So on with it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

Making their lives a living hell

The coming of the sun would have been otherwise peaceful and quiet had it not been filled with annoyed shouts and reprimands that came from a certain green-haired sadistic prince.

"USELESS!" he shouted for the nth time that minute, "There are six Vexos and not even one of you had a lead on the culprit?"

Lync's life-threatening, but much more embarrassing incident was an event that came three days ago. After that incident, the prince made commanded all to be on high alert. Of course he never forgot to command the Vexos to search for the culprit either.

"Aren't you the feared Vexos?" asked the prince in a seething tone, "Then why can't you handle searching for a single criminal?"

He was met with silence.

His fists clenched on the golden door knob that he had stupidly destroyed out of its door due to impatience. He was surprised to even see a stupid door knob in the Vexos headquarters.

"Why can't you obey my orders for once?"

The Vexos kept quiet. They knew how unreasonable and how unpredictable the spoiled brat was when he got angry. And they didn't have a legitimate reason for their actions either.

His rage was simmering and soon, it would come to a complete boil and just explode.

"YOU'RE ALL USELESS!"

And with that he threw the door knob at them. None moved, but unfortunately it hit Spectra on his forehead and slightly chipped the top parts of his mask.

The masked blonde's head jerked back due to the impact. None reacted, except for the death glare that Gus was silently gracing the prince with.

When Hydron turned his back, the others left immediately. The ever-faithful Gus was at his master's side.

"Master Spectra, are you alright?" asked the blue haired Vexos.

Spectra merely nodded, but the blood dripping from his forehead suggested otherwise "I'm fine Gus… No need to worry…"

Without another word they retreated to their quarters. When Spectra entered inside, he was immediately welcomed by Alice's worried face.

"Keith?" she stretched out her hand to reach his cheek, but stopped short.

He then removed his mask and sighed, "Prince Hydron's furious about your other half."

Though they don't have any concrete evidence that the masked blonde who shared a body with Alice was indeed the one who tried to drown Lync in the river, the red head had already accepted that it was him.

Alice looked down sadly, "It's my fault…"

"You know that's not true, Alice…"

They remained silent for a moment. Neither spoke and only stared at the ground.

It was Alice who broke it. "I'm sorry…" Alice said, "I should treat your wounds first…"

Spectra nodded and followed her to his bed. He sat on the edge and waited for Alice to come out of the kitchen with a first aid kit.

She frowned slightly at the sight of his fringe covering his wound.

"What?" asked Spectra innocently

"Your fringe is in the way…"

The blonde rolled his eyes upwards and caught a glimpse of his spiky fringe. He turned back to Alice to see her smiling mischievously.

"I know how we can take care of that…" she said in a sing song voice.

Spectra on the other hand felt scared rather than amused with Alice's smile. He was always attracted to the girl's smiles which she so easily graced him with, but her smile was different.

A sudden thought flicked inside his mind, "Don't you dare do _that_!" he exclaimed in a quite unmanly manner.

Alice just giggled as she closed the distance between them; hands tied behind her back, "Don't worry, no one will see you here…"

After much struggling and resistance, Alice finally managed to remove Spectra's fringe…

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

By clipping them with the barrettes she bought…

By then Helios was suppressing a laugh and Alice was already giggling.

The blonde let out a sigh as his forehead was exposed and the wound started to clot. "Alright… enough fun and games… finish my forehead already…"

Alice nodded as she proceeded to clean Spectra's wound.

She couldn't help but worry.

_This is my fault…_

She was so absorbed by her own thoughts that she didn't even notice how close she was to Spectra's face.

Spectra, however was well aware of that fact because unlike the red head, he was unoccupied by anything except her angelic face and her proximity.

"I haven't felt him in a while…" Alice muttered.

"Is that so?" Spectra had relief in his tone, because the silence was finally broken and that she wasn't suffering anymore.

"I don't know if he's become dormant or he disappeared…"

"But still… it somehow feels relieving…" Spectra said

Alice turned to him in askance.

"It means that you don't have to be anxious about him anymore…" Spectra added.

The red head suddenly felt her cheeks heating up. She turned away and whispered, "But still I got you hurt…"

Spectra smiled at the girl fondly and said, "I already told you that it isn't your fault…"

But the look in the girl's eyes said that she wasn't convinced with what he said.

He sighed and patiently said, "Alice…"

Said girl turned to him and he continued, "You did nothing wrong…"

And at that moment, she drowned. His eyes were so captivating; she couldn't find it in her to even think about resisting him.

There was a sigh of total surrender that escaped her lips. She nodded her head slowly, but was at a loss for words.

"If anything" started the blonde, "The Vexos themselves along with Prince Hydron should be blamed for this… They're the ones who treated you badly… Your other half just wanted to get even…"

Alice bit her lower lip; she just didn't know what to do anymore.

* * *

><p><em>You can't hide from me…<em>

_You know you want revenge, Alice…_

_You're just too weak to admit that you want it…_

_Don't worry_

_I'll be making their lives a living hell..._

_And you won't be able to do anything to stop me…_

* * *

><p>The tranquility of the morning was spared to stay for a longer period of time.<p>

Shadow prove was walking down the hallway smirking as he did.

"Hmm… what can I do today?" he mused out loud.

"Shadow Prove huh?" came a mysterious voice, "After Lync Volan you were the other one…"

Shadow, being the idiot that he was, looked around wildly. "Wh—Who's there?"

"Pathetic… You're even shaking… And you call yourself a Vexos? What a laugh…"

The deranged idiot looked around again, "Hey show yourself coward!"

The voice emitted a chuckle, "Coward? You have the audacity to call me coward?"

"If you're not a coward then show yourself!" Shadow demanded as his voice rose and everyone who was in the vicinity heard him shouting at the wall. Of course knowing the Darkus brawler, they simply shook it off as one of his idiotic seizures.

"How about in a brawl?" offered the voice

"A brawl?" the sides of Shadow's lips curved upward, "You dare challenge me? The Master of the Darkus attribute?"

"Master?" the voice growled, "Someone like you doesn't deserve to be the master of anything, Jester…"

"Who're you calling Jester?" Shadow raised his voice fully this time.

"You, Idiot…" the voice mocked.

Shadow stomped his feet like a child and said, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" he took out his gauntlet and slid it on his arm. "Let's go! I'll show you! I'll show you the Darkus Master!"

The voice chuckled and asked, "A gauntlet? Ah yes… Unfortunately you won't be battling me… You'll be battling them…"

Shadow's attention was caught by the scenery in front of him. The place looked like a wasteland. A few spiked mounts of rock protruded from the ground and looked distinctly like termite hills.

The skies were colored in a chaotic manner. A mixture of all gloomy colors filled the sky. And Hades stood in front of him, motionless.

"Wha? Where am I?" Shadow demanded in a loud and annoying voice.

"You're in the far recesses of the Bakugan realm…" replied the voice, "The dimension of no return, the Doom Dimension…"

The deranged idiot looked ahead and saw some Bakugans that were foreign to him and he backed away. Their unfamiliarity wasn't what scared him; it was their appearance.

Their flesh were sprouting out, the armors of the warrior-like ones were crushed beyond repair, the wings of the flying ones were torn and they were forced to resort to walking, they were emitting a gruesome sound that sent chills down Shadow's spine.

But what he feared the most was their visible faces. The looked ahead, but their eyes were empty. Their mouths hang open, but it didn't seem that it was for breathing. They walked at an eerily slow pace.

"Where… where am I?" Shadow demanded.

"You're in the Doom Dimension, Jester…" the voice boomed from all directions.

Shadow took another step back before he realized that Hades was in front of him. Seemingly gaining confidence, he smirked and said, "Heh! This is nothing I can't handle…" he pointed and shouted "Hades, fire!"

Sure enough, without an ability card, Hades started shooting out its Photon tail and Phaser trident.

With one blow, Hades blew off the first row of the deranged Bakugans.

Shadow stuck out his tongue again and laughed arrogantly, "Heh! Piece of cake!"

"Really? Is that all you can do?" the voice mocked, "Like I thought… you're not fit to be a master of anything let alone be the Master of Darkus…"

"What?" Shadow's head snapped around as he scanned the area and tried to look for the source of the mocking eerie voice.

"I think you should focus more on what's still ahead of you, Jester…" the voice advised.

Shadow's gaze returned to the field in front of him. He stepped back to see Hades captured by the Bakugans. He shuddered in horror as he saw the horde approaching him at a rapid rate.

"Wa—wait!" Shadow shrieked "What—what's this?"

The voice's loud and mocking laughter filled the air. "How does it feel like to be lost in a world where you can't escape?" then there was another loud laugh.

Shadow clumsily fell on his behind. He let out an unmanly yelp of horror as those who were nearby the hallway tried to ignore him as his screams gradually became louder.

"Stop!" he pleaded loudly, "Stop! STOP!"

Then all of a sudden he sank to his knees and fell unconscious on the ground. He was slightly burned out, like he was exposed to electricity for a long time. His pupils were dilated, yet they were completely unresponsive.

* * *

><p>"Prince Hydron…" a video transmission came into Hydron's throne room.<p>

"What?" he asked exasperated.

"We've just received news that Shadow Prove suddenly fell unconscious after an idiotic seizure of his," the servant in the transmission replied.

Hydron's eye twitched, "What did you say?"

A picture of the said idiot flashed in the screen. Hydron groaned in distaste and waved it off, "I don't need to see him…"

And just like that the picture disappeared.

"Is there anything else you want to report?" asked the prince as he sipped his tea calmly, "Something worth wasting my time?"

The servant in the transmission straightened up and bowed, "That would be all, Prince Hydron…" and the transmission ended.

When the screen faded to black above him, his grip on the handle of the cup became tighter. He gritted his teeth and his eyes flashed with anger. And soon there was a sound of pottery shattering.

Tea flowed down the armrest of the chair and soon it was merged with blood.

"Damn them all useless ones…" Hydron hissed through gritted teeth, "I'll get to that culprit myself… The wrath of Prince Hydron won't be easy to appease…"

* * *

><p>Another day passed and the silence and tranquility was present, but it wasn't something soothing to say the least.<p>

After hearing the news about her idiotic partner's seizures, Mylene decided to do some investigating in the crime scene. Being the meticulous person that she was, she knew that she'd be bound to find something that the suspect had hopefully left behind for her to find.

But she found nothing. Nothing important that was worth her time.

For the first time in the Aquos brawler's life, Mylene Pharaoh felt unsure. She wanted nothing more than to uncover the culprit's identity and be done with it.

_So that spoiled brat can finally sleep while sucking his thumb…_

She continued walking down the empty hallway where the Darkus brawler was wandering around yesterday. She was far off from the exact same spot where Shadow Prove was.

But suddenly her eye caught sight of something shining on the ground. Curious, she picked it up and examined it. Her blue eyes widened when she saw what it was; quickly enclosed it in her palm. Without another whim, she headed for the Communications room.

The Communications room was the place where the Vexos went to talk to the spoiled bratty prince named Hydron.

But when the prince didn't show up after she announced her presence, she became impatient and walked back to her room.

_How dare that prince make me wait!_

_When he becomes King only then will I let him make me wait!_

As she rushed to her room, she quickly analyzed the chip that she held secure in her palm. Her eyes widened at her stunning discovery.

"This…" she faltered as the dialogue boxes started to pop out one after the other.

"How can so much virtually real data fit in this chip?" she mused out loud in the abrupt darkness in her room, "And this virtual data doesn't come from any dimension near Vestal or this universe… If so where…?"

Her thinking-out-loud was disrupted by an ominous chuckle.

"So, you've found my chip huh?" the voice stated darkly.

"Who are you?" asked the girl as she took out her whip.

"There's no need for introductions…"

"Oh really?" Mylene smirked, "Then maybe I can burn my name into your mind, I am…"

She was cut short when the voice finished introducing herself for her, "The Great Aquos Fallout, Mylene Pharaoh…"

"What?"

"Seriously, do you Vexos always have to have some sort of title before you utter your names?" mocked the voice.

"Show yourself fiend!" ordered Mylene as she made a sharp sound with her whip.

"Fiend? That's rich coming from the Sadist Mistress herself…"

All of a sudden, the Aquos brawler felt terrified. The way he uttered that title of hers which he cherished oh so much, had a hint of knowingness in it. Like he already knew exactly how sadistic she was.

And before she knew it, she became completely and utterly helpless. She was beaten, bruised and wounded on her left shoulder. And she felt like something like that had already transpired within those walls.

It hit her like lightning, "You!" and she gasped at the pain in her shoulder as she fell on the ground.

Through the dim light coming from the lamppost that stood outside the window of her room, she saw a pair of black shoes and as her eyes trailed, up she saw a pair of violet pants kept with three belts and a long white coat.

"I should've known…" she muttered.

"Unfortunately, you should have known better than to make a rag doll out of my half's body…" the culprit said, "So how does it feel to wallow in despair and helplessness?"

And his cruel laughter echoed within the hollow walls of her room.

The fallen proud girl clenched her fists and not long after that, she was out of commission.

.

.

.

.

.

_How does it feel to drown and be unable to resist the sensation of the waters closing in around your lungs; slowly constricting the air out of your lungs?_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_How does it feel to be trapped inside a virtual world, fabricated by imagination and yet everything is still so real, like an alternate dimension wearing away your sanity?_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_How does it feel to be helpless to the very bit and not be able to fight back because you're too weak and the one killing you softly is vastly too strong for your fantasies?_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_How does it feel to incur the wrath of the Darkus Master, Masquerade?_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

* * *

><p>Spectra himself experienced hell for the last two days; Alice suddenly disappeared without a trace.<p>

He tried to find her; he did his very best to find her whereabouts, but to his dismay, he had no such fortunate chances.

Hydron called for him after he, Volt and Gus heard of the incidents that involved Mylene and Shadow. Both of them were unable to speak as soon as they regained consciousness (or in Shadow's case his right sense) and therefore, they had no idea who the culprit was.

He'd already prepared an excuse for his absences the past few days and hopefully, the spoiled brat they call 'Prince' would find it to be satisfactory.

"Perfect timing Spectra," greeted the prince in an unnaturally pleasant mood, "I was just about to go through the plans for the next few days…"

The blonde bowed and said, "I am eager to listen, Prince Hydron…"

"Good…" the prince twirled a lock of his hair with his index finger, "But before I come to that, won't you share the reason why you've been so elusive and inactive these past few days?"

"Of course…" Spectra said as his mask did its trick of hiding his emotions and the lies that fabricated his words, "I was tending to my sick assistant…"

"Alice?" recognized Hydron.

Spectra dipped his head ever so slightly, "Yes… I'm afraid she caught a cold…"

"Why would she catch a cold?" asked Hydron with an expression of fake concern on his face, "Has she been staying outside her room for late?"

Something glinted in Hydron's eyes and Spectra knew it all too well.

_He knows something…_

"Anyway…" Hydron waved his hand airily, "Since the Vexos have proved to be useless at this matter, I've decided to take it all for myself before my father knows of it," he absent mindedly twirled a lock of his hair and said, "It would be such a waste of his time if he were to fuss his frail heart over such a measly matter."

The masked blonde recognized that tone. It was a tone of scorn and contempt; something that the prince only uses when he has an advantage over something or he has obtained some knowledge that no one else has.

"I am temporarily shutting off all systems that is associated to any door, window or rabbit hole that can possibly lead anyone to anywhere," announced the prince, "All of the staffs and even the Vexos will be put under strict house arrest to counter the culprit. And I've also made sure that there are no private security cameras around the headquarters." He closed his eyes as an amused expression clouded his face, "Don't worry, I'm not denying you your privacy and like I've said, it's only temporary…"

The meeting was adjourned right after that. The meeting just wouldn't go any further without a girlish fourteen year old pink haired boy, a sadistic Aquos brawler and an idiot who goes through seizures more often than not.

Left with no choice, Spectra decided to abandon his search for Alice for a while.

"You won't be able to sleep with that kind of worry in your head…" Helios pointed out.

"I know…" sighed the said boy as he plopped down his chair and took of his mask. He let out a sigh and said, "But that's the only thing we can do for now… I'm sure the prince knows something that we may not know for now… And until we know what it is, I can't continue searching for Alice…"

He leaned against the comfortable back of his chair and said, "That impatient prince will release the house arrest when he gets tired of it anyway…"

Helios snorted, "Probably…"

Spectra half jumped when he saw a rain of colors fall in front of him. His surprise melted into relief to see Alice's long orange tresses standing right before him.

"Alice…"

But before he could stretch out his hand to her, she turned to him. He noticed that she was holding a glass mask on her right hand. Without another word, she placed it on her face. Her hair raised up and defied gravity itself. Her dress was replaced with a long white coat, a navy blue shirt underneath, a pair of violet pants and black shoes.

His sky blue eyes widened as he recognized who stood before him…

.

.

"_Masquerade…"_

* * *

><p><strong>Whew!<strong>

**By far this is the foulest chapter I have ever done… =D**

**Also I am dedicating this to a very dear friend of mine…**

**I hope you feel better… =D**

**Anyway… I'm kinda wiped out… Chemistry killed the cat you know… =D**

**So please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding the chapter as it is greatly appreciated… =D**

**Also I've noticed… there were plenty of names here huh?**

**Well… any comment would be appreciated… =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	4. Confrontation

**Update!**

**I'm so sorry for the delay!**

**I got caught up in writing Katekyo Hitman Reborn fics…**

**So if you're a fan of Bakugan and Hitman Reborn, please do check it out, thank you!**

**Also I will apologize since this chapter might be shorter than you anticipated, because it's mainly just a filler chapter…**

**I'll try to make it up to you…**

**Anyway, on with it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

Confrontation

Spectra stood immobile as Alice slowly turned into her other half that was responsible for the current events.

"Masquerade…" was all he could mutter.

The other blonde's lips curved up to a smirk, "You look like you've seen a ghost Spectra, no, Keith…"

The older blonde's sky blue eyes narrowed, "Only Alice is allowed to call me that…"

Masquerade's lips curved up in a smirk and he said, "Last time I checked, Alice and I are one and the same…"

"I don't consider that fact to be necessarily true…" Spectra said.

Masquerade crossed his arms and said, "I don't care what you consider to be true or not…"

Both blondes became eerily quiet. Neither one speaks; their lips are kept in a taut line.

Spectra kept his gaze on the younger blonde who just so happens to be the other half of his personal assistant.

But even while keeping an equally unwavering gaze, Spectra could feel a bit handicapped in their staring contest.

The masked blonde's glass-like mask oddly prevented any sort of glimpse on his eyes, thus the older blonde was placed in a somewhat disadvantageous situation.

Seeing the slight sliver of defeat that gleamed in Spectra's eyes, Masquerade chuckled and said, "Alright I'll tell you why I'm here in place of your precious Alice…"

Spectra winced and grimaced inwardly at the choice of words the famous Masquerade used.

"Alice wanted revenge…" Masquerade stated simply.

But Spectra was quick to counteract the statement, "Alice is not the type of person who would want that kind of heinous thing…"

"Oh really?" the younger blonde sat on Alice's bed and crossed his arms, "How would you know what's running in her mind subconsciously? How would you know the things she'd been wishing unconsciously all this time?"

And with that all protests and counterattacks faded into nothingness inside the older blonde's mind.

"Good… Be silent and let me explain everything on that introvert and shy girl's behalf…"

_Does he always refer to his other half as such?_

Spectra sighed.

_He must have a very colorful vocabulary…_

"Alice is merely human," stated Masquerade, "So it's not surprising that she had some unconscious want to take revenge on those Vexos… After all, they've damaged her beyond repair…"

Spectra was silent. He already knew all of those things, but it sounded too emphatic when it came from the mouth of the person concerned…

Or the person's alter ego.

"But being the good girl that she is, Alice pushed the thought into the back of her mind…" continued the masked blonde, "She hid behind a mask, much like mine," he smirked at the metaphor, "Until you came that is…

"When you came to the picture, she discarded the thought of revenge… And became the little good girl that she once was…" Masquerade jerked his head upwards and his unseen eyes bore into the older blonde's sky blue eyes, "That was until Hydron tried to kill her… I knew there and then that I had to take action…"

Spectra was silent, but he had to admit, he somehow liked the way the younger blonde spoke.

"And so I did… but Alice was too stubborn," he continued ruefully, "I had to admit you were getting annoying too… Because of you, Alice successfully pushed me back into silence and immobility…"

Masquerade's lips curved upward to a smirk and he asked, "You do know that it was me who tortured Lync by the river, Mylene in her room, and Shadow in the hallway right?"

Spectra nodded as his clenched fists started to relax slowly.

"Do you know why it happened?" asked the younger blonde tauntingly.

Spectra remained silent. "Let me rephrase that," said Masquerade, "Do you know who caused it all to happen?"

"Partially it was Hydron," Spectra stiffened, "But mostly the sight of the one she cherishes the most with blood trickling down his forehead did the trick…"

Spectra's eyes widened further, his mouth was slightly agape and his expression was unreadable.

Masquerade raised an eyebrow (though it was hardly visible) and asked, "Why the sudden surprise? She was cursing inside her mind when she saw you in that state…"

Spectra winced inwardly. He could hardly imagine Alice utter a single foul word.

"And thanks to that, I was able to come out and do some damage…" said Masquerade proudly, "Alice doesn't even bother to protest…"

Spectra stood rooted on the spot and speechless.

Masquerade stood up and said, "I'm going to finish what Alice asked me to start… That Prince is next on my list."

"What do you plan to do after this?" asked Spectra.

"Nothing…" replied Masquerade, "None of my victims will know who did it to them… I made sure of it…"

"Alice," Spectra muttered, "How is she?"

"If you're fearing for her mental stability, don't be…" said Masquerade, "She won't even remember anything when I'm done…" he glanced at the older blonde and said, "Hurry up before you lose her…"

Spectra's eyes widened for the umpteenth time.

_Just how much does this masked blonde know?_

"Alice is a bit naïve and clueless, so she won't be able to do anything. So I suggest you move quickly…" and with that he headed for the sadistic Prince's room.

Spectra stood there immobile. He contemplated on what he was supposed to do. Should he stop the masked blonde or just let him take the revenge that he originally came for?

_Alice…_

He wanted Alice to stand up for herself. He wanted her to carry out her revenge, but now he just doesn't know what to do anymore.

_What should I do now?_

He clenched his fists, as rage, and confusion overtook him. He grabbed his mask and put it on his face.

Without another thought, another breath and another moment wasted, he walked out and followed the masked blonde.

_Alice…_

* * *

><p><strong>That's a wrap!<strong>

**Again I am so sorry for the incredulously short chapter…**

**I'll try to make it up in the next chapter…**

**Please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts, be it flames or not I will accept it, regarding the fic as it is greatly appreciated… =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	5. The Prince

**I think I've gotten rid of my writer's block for this story…**

**But I think that this is hardly satisfactory for a comeback…**

**And I apologize for the delayed update…**

**I sincerely hope I didn't let anyone down…**

**Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this chapter…**

**On with it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

Prince

There was rage, jealousy and shame.

But those were things that a Prince like him did not accept no matter what the circumstance.

There was rage whenever he felt like his underlings bested him. Whenever his underlings got the recognition instead of him, the royal one who gave them orders, rage was present.

_After all, they would be nothing without my commands…_

There was rage whenever a plan of his failed. Whenever his underlings caused the failure of a mission, under no circumstance of exception, he would roar out like a deafening thunder; scold them for their shortcomings.

_After all, they are the best, for no one who is with a royal blood receives pathetic underlings…_

There was jealousy that accompanied his rage when his underlings got the credit. He was jealous albeit far too proud to admit that it was, indeed, what he truly felt. He was jealous of the credit they received for such small a task. Brawling against miniscule people, who are not even Vestals in the first place, cannot be compared to the voluminous tasks of receiving the blame for his 'flawless' underlings' failures and the formulation of more strategies that he had.

_So why am I receiving less credit, when I am the one with the harder task?_

There was jealousy and bitterness when his Father gave the Vexos a second chance to prove themselves, while he was treated no better than a ragdoll when he committed a smaller mistake.

_So why am I receiving less grace when they are given a generous amount of second chances?_

There was jealousy whenever he recalled that he was a prisoner of his own palace. He was jealous of the freedom they had; he always found the palace walls to be a confinement, a cell albeit with the comforts of luxury and royalty. But when he looks around the walls that have become increasingly plain and bland in his purple eyes, he only wants to get out and be someplace else; change the scenery that plagued him.

_So why am I confined and imprisoned within when I am more worthy of freedom than they are?_

There was shame as his knees shook in his seat.

Shame was something as foreign as fear to Prince Hydron of Vestal.

Yet now, he was sure and he was certain that he felt shame for harboring fear.

He was slightly slouching. His palms were sweating. His fingers were shaking as were his knees. His face bore a smug expression; his lips were curved in a mocking smile. If it weren't for the fact that he was genuinely terrified, he would have looked like a self-righteous, narcissistic and self-centered boy that merely sat in the cold resulting to the shivers.

He brought his palms together and was surprised with how easily he could slide them together.

_This is so ridiculous… Getting scared like a child…_

But he badly needed some sort of distraction. He needed to keep himself from thinking that someone was on his way to where the Prince was. And while he was prepared for this, there's no telling if he'll end up like the other unfortunate Vexos or end up with only minor inflictions.

All of a sudden cowering behind his Father's robe wasn't such a bad idea.

He took a few deep and calming breaths. He feigned serenity to keep himself from screaming out bloody murder. It took _everything_ he had to stay put and wait.

Lync Volan was the first. He nearly drowned at the river and was currently undergoing rehabilitation. He suddenly started throwing a rampage inside his room, crying out nonsense and hiding under his blanket like a child afraid of the dark. Currently, he was being rehabilitated in a place far from the headquarters. Prince Hydron didn't want to be infected with the younger boy's insanity anyway.

Then there was Shadow Prove. What _exactly _happened to him is still a mystery to all, but the poor deranged Vestal had gone even further. He was even afraid of his own shadow and refused a room with even the tiniest bit of darkness. Thus, his eyes were bloodshot and dry. No doubt his eyes would be impaired soon; a lot have persuaded him to close his bright fluorescent lights, but to no avail. He wouldn't sleep; kept muttering something about figures in the dark.

Mylene Pharaoh was the latest. She was badly injured. One didn't need to be a genius to figure out what had happened to her. Comatose hovered over her like a cloud and currently, she was still unconscious.

It was relatively easy to find out who was behind all of it. Though Hydron had to admit that it took him longer than it should have, but the fact remains that he had solved the enigmatic puzzle.

Credit was not his, but of course he would never admit such a humbling statement. He would have been a sitting duck if the final victim hadn't dropped him a hint.

He sighed and started counting. _He _would be arriving soon; he needed to be calm. It was an essentiality for him to calm down.

And so he mentally started counting the seconds before he knew what was in store for him.

He was on the tenth number when he flinched. The door slid open and there stood, the one person he knew who would be daring enough to attack him, the Prince of Vestal, within his own base.

He nervously twirled a lock of hair with his index finger. He was scared, but he managed to bluff with his habit.

"I see you've been expecting me…" said the dark figure. The blinding white light that came from the hallway was far too pristine and bright for him to make out anything of the stranger's face.

But he needed no more.

Hydron let out a chuckle; his voice cracked midway. Thankfully, the figure didn't notice it. "I'll give you credit… The Vexos headquarters is a fortress that not just anyone can hack into…" he said mockingly, "And I'll admit that you are pretty brave to come here by yourself…" he opened his purple eyes and continued with the culprit's name, "Masquerade…"

At the sound of his name, the masked blonde smirked. He inclined his head and made his glass mask glimmer in the dim lighting; made the Prince even more terrified.

Slowly, Masquerade moved with calculated grace towards the Prince. "I guess it is a little better when your prey knows that you're coming… It will give me the satisfaction of seeing you squirm in agony…" he said with a smirk.

Hydron shrugged, "Judging from your tone, I'd say you're pretty confident about this…"

Masquerade made a menacing step forward. "I am," he said, "I am confident that I will make you squirm…"

The Prince scoffed confidently. "You should know that you can't beat me in my home base…" he said smugly as he twirled a lock of his green hair with his index finger.

"I wonder…" the masked blonde mused out loud. He gestured at the monitors by the Prince's head. "Your pathetic excuses for guards are currently out of commission and you won't be able to ask for help…"

The green haired male broke into a sweat, but he managed to keep a calm and collected exterior. He merely chuckled and said, "You're a bigger fool than I thought if you think I need guards to help me get rid of the pests… Though I expected that they would be more alert than this…" he sighed in mock disappointment, "I guess I'll have to do everything by myself…"

The smug blonde smirked in return. "And you won't be able to solve it either, Prince Hydron… You didn't solve it before and you won't solve it now…"

"You're very confident Masquerade…" the sadistic Prince complimented, "I'll credit you for that, but you won't be able to use your threats…"

The Darkus brawler crossed his arms and shifted his weight onto one foot. "Tell me then," he said in a humored tone, "How did you know that I was coming?"

"The Vexos weren't entirely useless after all," Hydron informed him, "Mylene managed to give me a hint before she lost her use to me and to Vestal… The chip showed data and I immediately recognized where it came from. There and then I knew exactly who the culprit was." His fingers combed through his hair and he threw the masked blonde an arrogant look, "I didn't expect you to strike so suddenly…"

Masquerade resumed his ascent to the throne. He gave an innocent shrug and said, "It's better to be early… After all, I just want to get over this so Alice can go back in peace…"

Hydron stiffened, "You're planning to make a transporter?"

"Alice's boyfriend already has the plans…"

The Vestal prince frowned.

_Spectra…_

"Come to think of it, isn't Spectra a member of the Vexos?" The blonde mocked. "If I remember correctly he was the leader wasn't he? If he's being rebellious then, that means that his superior is unfit to be one…"

At that remark, the Prince's bottled up rage exploded. If there was one thing he hated more than anything else in the world, it was when other thought of him lightly.

He stood up brashly and shouted, "Don't you dare blame me for his insolence!"

"Who else should I blame then?" The blonde raised an eyebrow, "Your Father perhaps?" he took the next step to ascend. "No matter what angle you look at it, the only one who is to blame for his actions," he stopped a step short from where the Prince was, "Is no one else but you…"

* * *

><p>Spectra flinched when he heard a loud explosion.<p>

His whole body stiffened.

"Spectra, you can't stop," Helios asked as he floated beside his partner's head.

The Pyrus Brawler gave a nod as he quickened his pace and lengthened his strides.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" the Pyrus Bakugan mussitated.

"As do I Helios…" Spectra nodded "As do I…"

"Nothing good ever comes out when Alice is with Hydron…"

* * *

><p>What was once a tidy and glorious throne room that fit the Vestal Prince was reduced to nothing but a heap of fallen debris.<p>

The green haired Prince clutched tightly onto a beam for support. He panted like a dog and his eyes still showed a hint of frenzy.

"Don't…" the words came out in a ragged manner from his mouth, "Don't you ever DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

There was a throaty chuckle. "Are you attempting suicide?" the Darkus brawler asked. Currently he was far from where the seething Prince was, but he was trapped in between two inclining pillars. "Such a pathetic act…"

"Say another inappropriate word and I'll make sure that not even your ashes reach Spectra's filthy hands!"

The threat made Masquerade freeze; Hydron exploited the chance immediately.

"That's right… I hold two live in my hands right now, yours and Alice's… If I kill you, that girl will also die…" the green haired Prince said as he stood up shakily. "Of course that girl proved that she is more trouble than she's worth…"

A sarcastic chuckle echoed throughout the ruined room.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to fall for that?" the Darkus brawler exclaimed. "I don't care if I live or die… I've learned not to care about anything anymore…"

"Really now?" violet eyes widened with fury, "Then you wouldn't mind if I killed you here and now right?"

Spectra stopped dead when he heard the Prince's loud declaration.

_What on earth is going on?_

He was surprised to see that what used to be a door to the throne room of the bad-mannered Prince is now deformed and bent in many angles.

Proceeding with caution, the Pyrus brawler went inside and saw Prince Hydron's crazed features directed at the masked blonde.

"Well, well… What do we have here?" the green-haired Prince cackled, "Another nuisance! Maybe I can get rid of both of you at the same time!"

"Prince Hydron…" Spectra tried to appease the mad Prince's anger. "Please calm down…"

Said boy raised a defiant chin. "Are you stalling me Spectra? So that Gus can come to your rescue and we can resume the way we were tomorrow morning… You'll feed the guards and everyone else a false story about me overreacting? That's very tactical of you Spectra…"

"I never had such intentions, Prince Hydron," the Pyrus brawler slightly inclined his head and ignored his partner Bakugan's curses.

Ignoring Spectra's calm words, the Prince shot back, "I wonder what kind of reward my Father will give me once I've rid of you and your little girlfriend?"

"I'd like to see you try…" The Darkus brawler challenged, "Someone like you who hides behind his Father's cape isn't capable of doing that kind of act…"

Spectra's head snapped to the other masked one's direction. "Stop making this worse!"

"Stop intervening!" Masquerade shot back.

"SHUT UP!"

Both of the blondes immediately turned to the Prince's direction.

He was holding a contraption that looked like a gun. He pointed it at Masquerade and said in a deranged voice, "Don't you dare ignore me like I'm not here!"

At this point, Spectra abandoned all logic and rushed to the Prince's side. Moving with quick fingers, he tried to pry the fingers off the gun's trigger.

Masquerade on the other hand was immobile. He gnashed his teeth and what was left visible of his face contorted uncomfortably.

"Alice… Not yet…" he muttered.

"Let me go you ungrateful traitor!" Hydron demanded. "I'll have you all killed!"

"I'm not about to let that happen!"

The two Vestals stopped when they heard something drop to the ground and the shattering of glass; in Masquerade's place stood Alice who was clutching her head as if in pain.

"Alice, get out of here now!" The Pyrus brawler commanded.

But before the red head could even open her eyes to see what was going on, Hydron had pulled the trigger of the gun.

Spectra stood aghast and it seemed to him that time itself had stopped.

Alice on the other hand was falling. Her feet felt no ground and instead she was standing on a large circle filled with rainbow colored wisps on a white surface.

The Prince did not suppress a smirk, "It seems that Professor Clay's invention is indeed useful…"

The Pyrus brawler resumed his original position. He tried to pull Alice out but they merely brushed their fingers and Alice fell down the hole.

"This Portable Dimensional Transporter is indeed useful…" the Prince cackled. "Don't you think so too, Spectra?"

"HYDRON-!" Before another coherent word could come out of his mouth, the ground beneath Spectra's feet crumbled and he started falling down the hole as well.

As he fell, he could hear the deranged laughter coming from above that no doubt came from Hydron.

"Two birds with one stone!"

As soon as those words escaped Hydron's lips, unconsciousness claimed him; the smile on his face was indeed frightening.

Everything was a blur. A dizzying sensation took over the Vestal as he fell down the mysterious hole along with Alice.

_Portable Dimension Transporter? If that's true then where does this lead?_

He could only wonder as he continued his seemingly endless descent.

From afar he could make out another hole that gradually increased in size as he fell. It had a subtle shade of green.

_Does this lead to Earth?_

A blinding white light made him cringe and close his eyes. The next thing he knew, he was on ground.

The smell of soil reached his nose and he could already say that he had already landed. When his eyes got accustomed to the harsh light of the sun, he spotted a vast meadow that seemed to stretch from every direction possible.

Alice was lying unconscious beside him. It was only then that he realized that his mask was nowhere to be found.

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Alice…?"

* * *

><p><strong>And that's a wrap! =D<strong>

**Again I am so sorry for the late update…**

**Military training takes up my Fridays and Saturdays…**

**And I'm pretty much booked on Sundays**

**So updates may come slower than ever before…**

**Again I apologize…**

**And though I hate to be a spoiler, I also hate to let my readers down… =D**

**There will be some sort of a love triangle in the next chapters…**

**Although that may already seem obvious… =D**

**And someone will add fire to that love triangle… =D**

**Also, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding the fic as it is greatly appreciated… =D**

**God bless you all!**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	6. Meeting them

**Chapter 7**

**Meeting them**

* * *

><p>Spectra raised his eyes to meet with the newcomer's figure. He came by a mass of jet black hair that stopped by his nape and gave the impression that it hadn't been that short before. His eyes were gleaming amber in the daylight though he presumed that orange was the more accurate description of its colour. He wore a long sleeveless teal vest and inside was a black turtleneck and pants.<p>

"Shun Kazami?" He recognized the boy from the database of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers that Vestal kept.

Shun didn't seem to like the fact that this stranger knew him. "That's me. Who are you?"

"My name is Keith Clay," Spectra replied courteously. He figured that using his discarded name will ward off unwanted attention; he was not sure of the circumstances he is currently in. "I am a friend of Alice from Vestal."

The Pyrus brawler stood up and went towards Alice; the latter started waking up.

Shun seemed concerned too.

There was a soft groan before she uttered a feeble, "Keith?"

"Yes?"

The former Bakugan Brawler opened her eyes but seemed to be unable to carry herself. Spectra understood though. Masquerade had used her body for who-knows-how-long back in Vestal.

The masked one's actions brought them to where they currently are now.

"Where…" she started hoarsely, "Where are we?"

"On earth…" Shun replied simply.

At the sound of his familiar baritone voice, Alice's eyes widened. "Shun?"

"Yeah, it's me…"

Spectra turned to the younger boy and asked, "By any chance, is there a place where Alice can rest here?"

"Sure," Shun shrugged as Spectra slung Alice's arm across his back and assisted her in walking. "This is Alice's home anyway."

_Moscow…_

The Ventus brawler made a motion for Spectra to follow him. Dr. Michael's laboratory was bolted and neglected. By the side of the laboratory was a walkway that led to the clearing outside the tall pine trees.

"I can't believe I'm finally home..." Alice muttered in awe as she took in her surroundings.

"I feel the same, Alice..." Spectra nodded.

"It seems like it was yesterday when I came to Vestal; now I'm home..."

She turned to the Ventus brawler that is one of her friends and asked, "Shun? What are you doing here?"

"Klaus told me that he detected a portal being opened here." Shun explained as he turned to the duo, "I was the closest one around so, I got here easily. The others might come here shortly..."

Alice nodded as they neared the house that she formerly spent her days in. A smile crept across her face as she watched Shun unlock the door of her home. She turned to Spectra meaningfully and he released his support on her.

"Welcome home, Alice..."

Alice smiled and said, "I'm home... I'm really home..."

She squeezed Spectra's hand and he smiled at her. Gently, he let her hand go and gave her an encouraging look. "Go on. I know how much you've missed this place..."

Alice nodded as she spirited away to the kitchen.

Shun eyed Spectra as he watched Alice go with a small smile on his face. "You seem to be good friends with Alice..."

"Yes... Well she was with me when we were in Vestal." Spectra explained but took note of the slightly inhospitable expression that Shun gave him.

Shun nodded and took a few steps ahead of the Pyrus brawler and said, "We're all indebted to you then..."

"We?"

"The Bakugan Battle Brawlers..." he elaborated. "Any friend of Alice is a friend of ours."

_You're not really welcoming though..._

Spectra nodded as he walked off to the kitchen to follow Alice.

"Alice?"

"Keith!" She walked towards him. "How do you find the homes here at Earth?"

He paused for a moment, looked around and took in his surroundings. "It's not that quite different from Vestal architectures; there's a certain different feel to it..."

"Are you going to stay?" She asked him hopefully.

"I'm afraid there's no way I can come back immediately," he told her.

She smiled at him and said, "You can take the guest room then. Are you hungry?"

He nodded, "Starving..."

"I'm sure Shun is too..." she added as an afterthought.

He nodded and then reduced his voice to a whisper, "What are we going to tell them when they ask how we got here?"

She turned to him with wide brown eyes. She looked away and turned the faucet off. "I'm not sure..." she wiped her hands on her apron and continued, "How did you introduce yourself as?"

"With the name that you call me with..." he said with evident distaste in his mouth.

"We'll have to be careful..." she turned to him fully. "A lot of them are really sharp and observant; if we're not careful, they might catch us; you."

He nodded and said, "We'll just tell them that an experimental site opened up close our house, we were the first casualties; thus we were sent here..."

She nodded in understanding. "We'll have to be really careful about this Keith..."

He took her hand and gave it an assuring squeeze. "I promise we will be..."

He took her in his arms, a practiced gesture and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Keith..."

"Hmm?"

"Where's..."

"Alice?"

She was cut short and their moment was interrupted by none other than Shun. His face changed from inquiring to slightly displeased.

"What's the matter Shun?" Alice asked as she slightly pulled away from Spectra, but still not quite freeing herself from his embrace.

"Well, I was wondering where the computer is, but I can find it myself..."

"Shun..."

But before she could make another coherent thought, he left.

"What's wrong with him?" She mused out loud, "He wasn't anywhere near as cold as that to me before..."

Spectra let himself smile a bit. He brushed off a stray hair from her forehead and tied her hair in a ponytail. "I'll leave you here."

Their gestures meant comfort and assurance to one another. After all, they've been living in such an unsure life in Vestal that every little amount of comfort is greatly expressed and appreciated.

"No; stay." She told him as he released her from his embrace.

He could never resist her eyes. He could never resist how she pleaded to him with the use of her wide brown eyes. And what he saw in her as a little sister grew into something more.

"Fine..." he ruffled her hair.

She smiled at him and continued working around the kitchen.

"You know," she suddenly said, "I don't remember you ever staying in the kitchen while I cook."

"That's because I'm working on the transporter for you to get back here or I'm researching on new battle gear."

She gave him a look; he understood. They didn't know who or what was watching and listening to them. One wrong slip of the tongue could spell suspicion or worse, separation for them.

"Keith..." she started but he cut her short, "I understand, I won't say anything that has any relation to Bakugan..."

"I..." she bit her lip, "I don't want you to leave Keith... Just like how you took care of me in Vestal, I want to take care of you here too..."

Spectra smiled at her and said, "Don't worry; I won't speak of the subject again..."

She smiled at him, "Happy to hear it." She resumed her work and pointed him outside and said, "There's a bookshelf there, did you see it on the way here?"

He nodded.

"I don't know if you'll like the books grandfather left there, but help yourself..."

He nodded as he went to the living room to retrieve a book. While he was browsing through the hardbound stack of books with gold engraved inscription for the titles, he overheard Shun conversing with a few other unfamiliar voices.

"...Yeah Dan; it's me..." he heard Shun say.

"Shun! You're there already?" An unfamiliar voice reached Shun's ears; he presumed that it belonged to the Pyrus brawler, the infamous Daniel Kuso. "Is Alice there already?"

"Yeah Alice is here..." the Ventus brawler replied.

He heard Dan release an exasperated groan, "What are you still doing here then? Why don't you go to her and do what you were supposed to do years ago?"

"Dan," Shun said with slight annoyance in his voice, "Try to mind your own business. And besides, Alice isn't alone when she got here..."

"What do you mean? Alice brought an alien from somewhere?!"

"No... He's a... Vestal, from what I've heard..."

"Sounds kind of shady to me..."

"But he did say that he is a friend of Alice..."

"Come on Shun! What are you, kindergarten? He's still a stranger. As far as we know, he might just be playing nice, but he's actually blackmailing Alice or brainwashed her..."

_Well... Perhaps her sufferings in Vestal are partly my fault..._

Spectra sighed as he took out the blue leather bound book with no inscriptions.

"Dan, I know someone by just their presence..."

"And I trust your instincts on that buddy..."

"But I'm starting to doubt that guy..."

"What's his name?"

"Keith. Keith Clay. But don't do anything yet, Dan." Shun told Dan. "I feel bad about suspecting a friend of Alice. They seem to be really close too..."

"Hmm? Are you sure you aren't jealous?"

"Dan, don't start with me..." Shun warned in a stern voice...

"C'mon Shun! We both know that you've been longing to tell Alice that you—"

"Shut it Dan!" Shun said as he severed the connection and turned the computer off.

Spectra took that as his cue to go back to the kitchen with Alice. He opened the book and saw that it was a photo album.

"Well... This is surprising," he muttered when he was within Alice's earshot.

She turned to him questioningly from the fire.

"Do all people have leather bound photo albums here?" He asked as he raised the album and grinned at Alice suggestively.

There was an evident blush in Alice's cheeks. "Grandfather is just that kind of person I guess..." she replied abashedly.

"And he put in a bookshelf full of scholastic books," Spectra noted. "He must be browsing this when he's tired of all the numbers and letters..."

"It's just pictures of me," Alice protested with a small whine.

He chuckled and said, "I'd like to see what kind of relationship you had with your late grandfather..."

"Keith..." she warned him.

"Come on, it can't be that bad right?" He shrugged innocently.

Alice just turned away as a sign of release. Spectra opened the album and saw a picture of Alice whose hair was in pigtails and a party hat was on her head. She was blowing nine candles, he noted, that were arranged on a circular cake. At the bottom was a label, 'Alice's 9th birthday'.

He flipped the page and surely enough there was a picture of her grandfather beside the chair she was sitting on. Most of the pictures were mainly her and her grandfather during the occasion and some had a short haired blonde woman and a brunette beside her.

"I didn't know you had other relatives," he drawled absentmindedly.

"Oh," Alice glanced at him briefly before turning back to her cooking and tasted her soup. "They're my aunt and uncle. They don't live here but we get together on special occasions," she explained.

"Like your birthday in this album?"

"Yeah like those events…"

Slowly, he browsed through the other pages. The album was like an evolution of Alice since it showed her birthday parties starting when she was nine years old.

"What about your eighth birthday?" Spectra asked.

Alice froze momentarily before regaining her cool. She wiped off her hands on her apron and replied, "That was the first death anniversary of my parents… So I didn't want to celebrate it."

"I'm sorry for asking then."

She shook her head, "No; it's okay." She turned to him and smiled, "They died when I was seven; since then I really didn't want to do anything anymore…"

"I see…" he marked the page he was on with his finger and let it dangle with his arm. "My mother died not long after Mira was born. My father started to get addicted with the possibilities of research about…" he paused and she nodded, "So he sent her to a relative of ours; that left me with him. I was just three at the time and I wanted nothing more than for my mother to come back so that father could just stop with his addictions.

"Soon he threw away all of her things. He burned almost all of her photos; claimed that she was a nuisance to his great discoveries." He looked away and had a sad look on his face. "As it is, Mira never knew what our mother looked like; she never had a father figure to look up to. I took her from our relatives when she was old enough; we started looking after one another since then…"

Alice fixed her eyes to the ground. "That's too sad then… Where is your sister now?"

He shrugged. "Ever since we captured _them_," he glanced at Alice again who nodded, "She ran away from home; I figured that she didn't like what father was doing. She thought I was involved in it too…"

"Oh…"

"You do realize that you're still wearing the clothes I gave you from Vestal right?" Spectra asked with a grin; made the red head look down.

"I didn't notice…" she admitted abashedly.

He ruffled her hair and asked, "What is it with you and cooking?"

Alice pouted before she smiled again and went off to her room.

When she left, he started browsing through the pages of the album again. After the endless photos of her birthday parties with naught but her grandfather and her aunt and uncle, he moved on to a page without a picture but only a label, 'Bakugan'.

He flipped the page open and sure enough there was a picture of Alice in the website. The traditional green background was behind her; her face was in a frame of the same green as the background. Beside the frame was information about her written in plain white letters.

Spectra was one of those who knew about the past of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers, so he was not surprised at the very least to see that her the space after the word 'Attribute:' was blank.

He continued flipping the pages and found that most of the pictures were of Alice and her grandfather in the lab. They were fixing a contraption, he noted.

_The Dimensional Transporter..._

He saw a picture of Alice with a small boy who wore a white jumper and a blue shirt inside. The boy was holding out an Aquos Bakugan and Alice had an arm around his shoulders as she knelt to his height. At the bottom was a label, 'Christopher, the little Aquos angel'.

A small smile made its way to the Pyrus brawler's face. When he flipped another page it had the picture of her and a gray haired boy dressed in formal clothes like he'd never seen before in Vestal. The label said, 'Klaus Von Hertzen. Germany'.

He momentarily raised his eyebrow at the lack of description, but let it go anyway. The next few pictures were pictures of Alice with the rest of the Brawlers. Few of them were pictures without Alice herself; he realized that Alice had made the last part of the album.

He smiled fondly at the pictures. One label that said, 'Joe Brown & Chan Lee: Future couple' made him chuckle slightly. He assumed that the navy haired girl was the one named Chan; the one with light brown hair was Joe. They were side by side and smiling widely. There was nothing really special about the picture and he didn't even suspect that there was something between the two if Joe hadn't had his arm at Chan's waist.

_It seems that Vestal and Earth aren't that far apart when it comes to these kinds of things..._

He glanced at the way Alice took when she left and shook his head. The pages ran low and the rest that he saw were pictures of the Brawlers with their Bakugan before the latter went back to their homes in Vestal.

_And before they were invaded and captured by the Vestals in their own homes..._

Alice came back wearing a yellow sundress and her hair tied back in a ponytail with a white scarf.

And at the moment, Spectra forgot his manners and stared at her in wonder.

"What's wrong?" Alice tilted her head inquiringly.

Spectra shook his head and replied, "Nothing... I was just surprised; that's all..."

Alice smiled and took the album from his hands. "So you've finished it?" She asked.

"I must say you have some interesting descriptions on every individual photo..." he grinned at her and she blushed.

He raised his hand to ruffle her hair but at the same time, she turned to look at him.

Their gazes locked; though both wanted to look elsewhere, they could not do so.

"Alice?"

Both the Pyrus brawler and former Darkus brawler turned to Shun who stood by the doorway. He had an inscrutable expression on his face as he said, "Dan and the others are here."

She favoured her comrade a smile. But she took Keith's hand as she ran outside like an excited child.

The wind was wild outside and Alice looked up to see Marucho's jet descending to the ground.

Shun came out and his eyes fell on the entwined hands of Alice and Spectra.

_Maybe Dan was right... Maybe I am jealous after all..._

He sighed and smiled a melancholic smile.

"Alice!" The rest of the Brawlers got down the jet and ran to the much awaited red head. But they stopped short when they noticed the same thing that made Shun muse on Dan's words.

"Is that Alice?" Julie murmured to Runo as they slowed down.

"I think so..."

"Who's that guy with her?"

"How should I know? I only got here okay?"

Julie rolled her eyes and smiled for the sake of seeing an old friend.

Dan was the only one reckless; didn't notice the foreign one holding his friend's hand. He ran to her and embraced her with one hand.

"Alice! We missed you!" He exclaimed.

The red head chuckled. "I missed you guys too."

Only when he let go of her did he notice the boy beside her. "Oh," he began informally, "Hello, I'm Daniel Kuso. Are you Alice's boyfriend?"

Shun raised an eyebrow at the emphasis of the last word and Dan's intense gaze on him as he said the word.

"I've heard a lot about you from Alice..." Spectra glanced at Alice who just smiled. "I'm not sure if Alice considers me as her boyfriend, but I am a friend of hers..."

"Well, any friend of Alice's is a friend of ours too..." Dan smiled as he held out his hand which Spectra took and shook gratefully.

"Thank you. I'm Keith Clay..." Spectra smiled back.

Julie ran to them and wrapped an arm around Alice as well. "You never told us that you had a cute boy with you in Vestal! Are you the one who took care of Alice while she was in some forgotten dimension?"

"Yes Miss Julie..." Spectra replied as he turned to the bubbly silver haired girl. "I must admit that you're prettier in person..."

The silver haired girl blushed when he mentioned her name and swooned when he complimented her. "He knows who I am!" She squealed and took Alice's hand dramatically, "I like your friend already!"

Alice just smiled at Julie's antics and turned to Spectra and rolled her eyes. She noticed Runo who was smiling at them the whole time and Marucho as well.

Spectra let her hand go and she took that as a signal to greet her other friends that have surely missed her.

"Alice!" Runo and Marucho greeted her in unison and gave her a hug.

"How have you guys been?"

"We've been fine, but worried sick about you!" Runo exclaimed, "And all of a sudden you're here again! I can't believe it!"

"I must say Alice," Marucho interjected, "You've gotten quite thinner, are you alright?"

"Really?" Alice asked as she smiled abashedly, "I haven't noticed... But I'm alright; don't worry..."

Runo leaned close to Alice's ear and whispered, "Shun was always looking for a way to bring you back. He and Klaus became friends through the course of it all... He really likes you Alice..."

Alice just chuckled and asked, "Really?"

"What?" Marucho asked.

"Nothing..." both girls said in unison.

"Well, I'm sure you're all hungry after a long travel," Alice announced, "So let's all go inside and help ourselves with some soup, is that okay?"

"Sure!" They all replied.

Spectra purposely stayed there until they all got inside. Alice noticed it and she went to him, "Is anything wrong?"

"Nothing..." he told her. "I'm just glad to see you smile again..."

He placed his hands on both sides of her face and gazed at her.

"Keith..." she whispered.

"I'd do anything to keep that smile there..."

"Stay with me..."

He smiled sadly and bent down to briefly kiss her lips.

And neither he nor she anticipated that move.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't really know what possessed me to put that kind of ending, but I did anyway...<strong>

**I'm really sorry if it took a lo~ng time, but I already have an ending in mind for this story... =D**

**I just need to pave the path to there from here...**

**I also apologize if the photo album discussion was boring and all, but I just really wanted to put it in... =D**

**Anyway, please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest; darkest thoughts about the fic as it is greatly appreciated by me... =D**

**God bless!**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	7. Puzzle and pieces

Chapter 7

Puzzles and pieces

"Alice, are you okay?"

The Russian girl turned to the source of the voice who was Runo. She nodded and went back to the dishes she was washing. They had just finished lunch and the two hadn't had the chance to have a proper conversation, between Julie's loud boasts and Dan's annoying manner of chewing.

"Are you sure?" Runo asked and her tone implied that she didn't believe her friend at the very least. "You seem a bit… spaced out…" she gasped and asked, "Is it about Shun?"

Alice shook her head, but it wasn't the messy one that she used to give way back; before she got to Vestal.

"What's wrong Alice?" Runo asked again. "Aren't you happy to see us again?"

The red head turned to her and replied, "Of course I'm happy to see you guys again."

"Especially, Shun?" Runo sounded too hopeful for her tastes. "We both know you've a huge crush on Shun."

Alice turned to Runo and shook her head and smiled, "I'm just glad to see all of you again…"

Runo's eyes widened. "Then you don't have a crush on him anymore?"

The red head considered the question for a moment. "Yes…" she replied.

"Why?" Runo could not help but wonder.

Alice just shrugged and dried the plates.

"Is it because of that Keith boy?" She could not help but release the bitterness in her voice.

And the Russian red head heard it as well. "Runo…"

"Alice," she mimicked her tone, "Shun has been worried sick about you. He really cares about you…"

"I know that Runo but," Alice licked her lips.

Runo nodded in understanding. "I have nothing against the guy, but it's Shun that I'm worried about."

The Russian girl just looked down. She and Spectra purposefully left out the fact that he was a member of the Vexos. Marucho will take note of that information and think that he's a villain.

And they also haven't told them about the kiss at the front yard before lunch.

"Runo," Alice called uncertainly. When she got the blue haired girl's attention she continued, "How did you know that you were in love with Dan?"

A blush crept onto the skin of Runo's face. "Wh—what made you ask that question?"

"Well," Alice fidgeted, "I'd rather ask your opinion than have an hour-long discussion with Julie."

Runo chuckled, "Well that's true…" she paused for a moment but then replied, "I can't really remember how; I just well, I just found out. By the way he talks to me or how he holds my hand and squeezes it. His actions all say it for me; then I've decided that I've fallen for that Bakugan-obsessed idiot."

Alice giggled silently before she took Runo's words into consideration. "Then I guess it's safe for me to tell you this,"

The blue haired Japanese gave her a questioning look as the blush on her cheeks started to reveal themselves.

"I… I'm in love with Keith, Runo."

"WHAT?!"

"Is everything alright there, Runo?" Julie called out.

"No… It's nothing…" Runo shouted after her. She then turned back to Alice and asked, "How can you be so sure of that?"

"He's been with me since I got transported to Vestal and though I never asked for his help, he gave it willingly," Alice replied, "He makes me feel warm and safe."

"Are you sure you aren't just treating him as a brother, Alice?" Runo clarified with a raised brow.

The red head shook her head. "He doesn't treat me as a sister… So I would assume that what I feel for him is nowhere near sibling affection. It's somehow similar to what I felt about Shun but deeper and more inexplicable."

She frowned and said, "If you're sure then I see no harm in pursuing it. But what about Shun?"

Alice thoughtfully placed a hand on her chin and said, "I'm sure he'll understand me."

"We all know that you two have been on really good terms before you suddenly disappeared to Vestal," Runo reminded her.

Alice nodded as she recalled the events of that day.

* * *

><p>It was after the havoc with Naga. Shun had asked Dr. Michael to let him stay in Russia for a couple of weeks to enhance his skills in terrain adaptation. He had persuaded his grandfather by telling him that ninjas were supposed to be flexible on all terrains.<p>

Alice could hardly believe it.

Especially when Dr. Michael had told her that she and the young Japanese ninja were to be left alone for a few weeks since the scientist had to take care of a few things in the city.

"Take care of Kazami-kun," he had told her before he left her with the ninja.

Of course Alice didn't need to be told how to take care of a guest properly. She strengthened the fire as it was a little chilly and she made supper early.

"So how have you been Alice?" Shun asked to break the awkward silence as he meditated at the corner and Alice read by the fireplace.

Alice looked at Shun. She thought that meditation should be done in complete silence but she replied nonetheless. "Fine... Why do you ask, Shun-kun?"

"Well... I guess I owe you an apology..." Shun said through half-closed eyes.

Alice tilted her head at him, placed a finger on the page she was reading and turned to him. "Why should you apologize Shun-kun?"

He opened his eyes and bowed his head. "Well... I said something bad when we found out that you were Masquerade. I should have been a bit more considerate..."

She smiled at him and set her book down. "At least we're back to what we used to be right?"

"And that would be?"

"Friends..." Alice replied as she stood up and walked towards him. She extended her hand and smiled. "We're friends right Shun-kun?"

She didn't take notice of the blush he had when he took her hand and shook it.

"I guess... We're not exactly like the others who are really close..." Shun said as he shifted his legs to a more comfortable sitting position.

Alice raised a brow and said, "No one from the girls is exactly close to you Shun-kun..."

He let out a chuckle and a dashing smile that Alice knows is one of the reasons why she likes the boy in front of her. "Well that's true..."

And suddenly they're just foolish teenagers that are smiling from ear to ear until Alice tells him that dinner's done.

* * *

><p>"You know I really thought that the two of you will take it to the next level," Runo mentioned as she helped Alice sort out the plates. "After all, your grandfather and Shun's grandfather seemed to like the thought of having children-in-law that came from the Battle Brawlers."<p>

Alice paused at that. "It all changed when I was transported to Vestal right?"

Runo nodded thoughtfully. "Well your grandfather died so I doubt anyone would agree to that anymore..."

To this, the Russian girl gave a sad smile. She rinsed her hands under running water and wiped them on her apron. "Can you please keep this between us for now?"

Runo nodded and said, "You won't be able to hide that for long though..."

Alice smiled and said, "I know. I'm sure the others can understand me..."

"But what about Keith?" Runo suddenly asked. "I mean, he's practically stranded here now. I doubt any of the guys would let you live here with him. Alone."

A faint pink graced Alice's cheeks. She fixed her eyes on the ground and wove her fingers together. "I... I'm sure I can work things out somehow..."

"And what about Keith?" Runo asked with a regretful tone.

Alice sighed and bit her lip. "I'll talk to him..."

The blue haired girl nodded and let her go. She turned to the window and whispered, "You're a masochist you know that?" She looked up and noticed the end of Shun's vest dangling from the branch.

Shun had his eyes closed as if in deep meditation. His legs were stretched in front of him as he leaned against the tree trunk and crossed his arms over his chest. Runo sighed and opened the window slightly just for him to manage to hear her voice. "You know eavesdropping is a bad habit..."

But he still remained unresponsive. Runo closed the window shut and headed to the living room where the others were. Alice was sitting beside Spectra and they were both looking over the same book. Dan and Marucho were discussing battle strategies and Runo couldn't help but mentally scoff at the thought.

Julie on the other hand had her radar on full alert. Runo didn't blame the obnoxious and bubbly silver-haired girl since Shun wasn't around and Alice is suddenly beside Spectra like she has no other care in the world. Julie sent Runo an accusing look, but Runo didn't even seem t be fazed as she strode over purposefully towards Dan and Marucho.

"Where's Shun?" Julie suddenly asked.

Runo shrugged innocently and looked over Dan's shoulder. "What's that?" she asked.

Dan looked up at the blue haired girl and replied, "Marucho and I were looking over how the dimensional transporter managed to reverse its effects and brought things over here that..."

Alice turned to them and nodded. Keith tensed for a moment before he flipped the page and resumed reading. His action was barely noted for by the others but Alice saw it anyway.

She pretended to flip the page but then she gently brushed her fingertip against his. He turned to her with an inquiring expression and she held his gaze with a knowing one. Spectra was the one who tore his gaze from hers quickly lest someone might see them.

The door suddenly burst open and a rush of cold wind came in. Shun walked inside as if the cold didn't bother him at the very least even with his sleeveless clothes. He passed by them wordlessly and headed for his assigned room with Dan and Marucho. Spectra had a room of his own because both he and Alice feared that Dan and Marucho might interrogate him too much and there's also the issue of his isolation so they agreed on that.

"What was that all about?" Julie asked with a knowing glance towards Runo. But the blue haired girl, as usual didn't catch the silver haired girl's eye.

"Something must have interrupted Shun's meditation." Dan supplied as he looked away from the screen of the laptop that he and turned to Julie. "That's always the reason why he's mad."

"Who could possibly disturb him?" Runo asked. "We're all here and there's nothing outside that can possibly disturb him..."

"Maybe he disturbed himself..." Spectra supplied with a shrug. "It happens to people who pretend to be strong..."

Dan scoffed at this. "Shun pretending to be strong? That's the craziest thing I have ever heard..."

With another shrug Spectra said, "If you say so..."

"Maybe we should all head to bed for now..." Alice suggested. "We can all talk again tomorrow morning."

They all reached a consensus at that and they dispersed to their respective rooms.

* * *

><p>Spectra found himself walking towards the living room again. He made sure that they were all in their rooms and in deep sleep when he slipped out of his room a few moments ago. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was three in the morning. He mentally counted the hours of his sleep and reduced them to five hours.<p>

He took out the photo album again and flipped through the pages. He didn't know why he had the feeling that he missed something in the album that he needed to see for some unknown reason.

When he arrived at the last page that he viewed earlier that morning, a photo fell from the album.

He bent down to pick it up and flipped it over.

It was a picture of Shun and Alice together. Both were smiling shyly and awkwardly as the distance between them is non-existent. Both had a small blush on their cheeks and Spectra then understood.

The doors suddenly squeaked in protest as it was opened. Spectra nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of it.

Alice eased herself out of the door of her room that she currently shared with Runo and Julie. She smiled at the sight of Spectra standing before her and asked, "You're awake already?"

The Pyrus brawler shrugged and replied, "I couldn't sleep..."

The red haired Russian girl had a worried look on her face. "Were you uncomfortable?"

The Pyrus brawler shook his head. "I'm just not used to sleeping long hours..."

She nodded in understanding and said, "I can feel that Dan and the others are very wary of you..."

"That doesn't really bother me Alice..."

"But it bothers me..."

Spectra's eyes widened at her declaration. Alice shyly deflated and walked beside him to grab his hand and envelope it in hers.

"It bothers me because I know how it feels," she told him. "It bothers me because the looks they give you really undermines you and I don't like it..."

"Alice," he started patiently but was cut off by her.

"Keith," she said with a voice that was barely a whisper. "I'd be willing to let you go and to let you go back home just as you've tried to help me before..."

"Now why would you even think of that?" Spectra asked her as he faced her and caressed her cheek. "You don't know how hard it is for me to work on those blueprints for the transporter to here..."

"Then why did you suggest it in the first place?" Alice asked.

He gave her a sad smile. "You wouldn't be safe in Vestal even when you're with me... Gus, Volt and I wouldn't be able to fully protect you if you stayed." He ran a hand through her orange locks and said, "You'd be safer here where Prince Hydron can't touch you without my knowledge. I could mess up his transporter and make him end up in some forgotten dimension."

"You'd do that for me?" Alice sounded unsure of the sincerity he showed her.

Spectra nodded and said, "I would do anything to keep you from being harmed, Alice."

"Because of amendment?" She asked bitterly.

"Because of endearment," he corrected her with a smile. "I love you..." Before she could say anything else he added, "It seems to me though that your friends will not welcome me as that..."

Alice turned to him with worry once more visible on her face. "How so?"

"Kazami Shun, I believe..." he told her.

That one name explained everything for them. Alice nodded and bit her lip. "Shun and I were the ones that always got teased to one another. My grandfather told me that he would like to have Shun as a son-in-law and Shun's grandfather agreed to that as well."

"And I'm the one that just popped in uninvited..." he finished for her.

"Ultimately, the decision is still mine..." Alice told him. "And if I chose you they won't be able to do anything about it..."

Spectra licked his lips. "What if they know what's best for you? And I'm not the one that's best for you?"

She gave him a coy smile. "How would they know? They're not Alice; I am... I have the right to chose what I want. And if it's not what's best for me then I'm the only one who'll suffer..."

He was struck for a while then he returned her smile with a bright one of his own. "You never cease to amaze me Alice..."

With that he bent down and kissed her. His mind was set along with hers. They were going to continue loving one another, come hell or high water.

* * *

><p><strong>DONE!<strong>

**I think I did a crappy job at this one...**

**Romance isn't really my cup of tea so if anyone felt like this chapter should be burned up, please do say so.**

**Please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding the fic as it is greatly appreciated...**

**I'm also thinking of adding two or three more chapters till I conclude this... So please bear with my slow updates...**

**Thanks for reading and God bless!**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	8. We're in love

Chapter 8

We're in love

* * *

><p>"You're what?" Julie exclaimed after Alice's straightforward statement.<p>

"Yeah," Dan nods. "Could you please repeat the question Alice?"

Alice smiled at them. They all gathered at the living room to hear Alice's announcement and frankly they couldn't me more surprised with her announcement. To Dan, Julie and Marucho, her declaration was a very shocking one. Shun's face didn't change so it was hard to tell if he was upset or if he just didn't care. Runo already knew so it didn't really come as a surprise to her.

"Keith and I," Alice repeated, "We're in love."

"SINCE WHEN?!" Julie exploded and Keith could have sworn that their eardrums would have cracked if she wasn't holding back. "Have you two been together since you were in Vestal?"

Alice shook her head. "I just realized it when we came back here."

"And you didn't even tell us about it?" Julie turned to Runo and got suspicious of the latter's calm demeanor. "Why do I get the feeling that Dan, Marucho and I are the only ones that don't know?"

Runo shrugged innocently. "I just had a hunch. If you were more observant you would have too, Julie."

Shun snorted and just walked out of the room. "I'm going outside to meditate. I can tell that this is going to be a very loud discussion."

But to the majority of the people there, they thought Shun just didn't want to hear anymore. Runo knows that he knows already.

"What about Shun?" This time it's Dan who asks.

Alice frowns a bit and says, "I'll… apologize to him."

"And you two were getting on good terms too," Julie mused out loud.

Alice turned to Spectra who gave her a nod indicating for her to look for Shun and apologize to him. She gave him a grateful smile before her hand slipped out of his and went out to look for Shun.

"Well given that, we can't let you and Alice stay in the same house," Runo turned to Keith. "You understand don't you, Keith?"

Spectra nodded. Even though Earth and Vestal were different in some ways, the two dimensions were the same in terms of relationships.

"Maybe you can go with Alice to Wardington," Marucho suggested. "You can work for us while Alice works for the Misaki's."

Spectra nodded. "I'm sure Alice would like that."

"Plus you won't have to be apart from each other," Julie said as she raised a victorious finger.

Spectra smiled and said, "Thank you all. I know I came here uninvited for most of you, but I'm glad you've found it in your hearts to accept me."

Dan stood up and approached Spectra. "Hey man no worries! I mean we're all really hoping that Shun ends up with Alice but if Alice really loves you, I say welcome to the battle brawlers!"

Spectra accepted Dan's fist shake and said, "Thank you. You guys have quite a reputation for yourselves if I do say so myself."

Alice on the other hand went outside to look for Shun. "Shun-kun?" She called out. "Shun-kun, where are you?"

She heard the snow shuffle behind her and she saw Shun's silhouette approaching her.

"You called, Alice?" Shun asked in a tone that Alice interpreted as cold.

"Well…" Alice hesitated. She didn't know how she was going to start apologizing to Shun. She didn't do anything wrong after all; this seemingly turned out to be a stupid idea.

"Aren't you cold?" She opted for small talk first. "You're wearing sleeveless clothes."

Shun snorted and gave Alice a weird look. "Aren't _you_ cold? You're not wrapped up yourself."

The red head shrugged. "I'm used to this kind of weather."

"So why look for me?" Shun asked. "I know you're not the type who'll just run after someone just because of the weather."

She gave him a sheepish smile. "Can't it be just because I care about you?"

"You're too kind for your own good," he said. "Shouldn't you be caring about your boyfriend?"

"Are you jealous, Shun-kun?" Alice giggled.

But no humor passed through Shun's eyes. "Yes."

She stopped and stared at him. "Shun-kun?" She never thought that Shun would be the type to be so straightforward. Moreover she didn't think Shun would be the one who'll initiate her supposed to be apology.

"I am jealous of that Keith boy, Alice," he repeated. "Joe, Klaus and even that kid Christopher have their eyes on you. Are you really that naïve to not see that? Alice, you're such a treasure that I can't understand why I let you slip through my fingers easily."

She's stunned by such a confession.

"I love you, Alice," he told her. "And when you said that you and Keith are in love I hoped I heard it wrong. I hoped you were being delusional but his eyes say everything he doesn't dare say like you do."

"Shun-kun…" she trailed off.

"And we were on such good terms before you disappeared," he muttered but the wind made sure that Alice heard it.

"I can't deny that I had strong affectionate feelings for you, Shun-kun," she said. "But… it never had the time to mature."

"You sound like you're blaming me," Shun said.

Alice averted her eyes from him. If they knew what really happened then the blame would undoubtedly be put on Spectra. "I'm not blaming anyone. I don't regret anything Shun-kun. Everything that's happened turned out to be something good after all."

He scoffed and bore into Alice's eyes. "What about me Alice? Sure you have Keith with you but what about me? You're the only one I love."

"I'm sorry, Shun-kun," she breathed out. Finally she was able to say what she had intended in the first place.

Shun shrugged and said, "I guess it can't be helped then. If you love Keith, then who am I to stop you?"

"Shun-kun…"

"If you love something let them go," he recited and sounded almost obligatory more than anything else. "Skyress told me that."

Alice smiled at the mention of the Ventus Bakugan that ultimately touched Shun's affection. A dark brooding in her mind started creeping as she realized how Shun would react if he found out that the Keith she loves is the Spectra that helped the Vexos capture his Skyress.

"I always thought that you wouldn't recognize me because of Skyress," she admitted sheepishly.

He chuckled. "You think I'd pass you for a Bakugan? While it's true that I do love Skyress, it's more of a filial thing rather than a romantic one."

Alice nodded.

"If it makes you happy," he took a step closer to her, "Then I'm happy."

_I don't deserve this, Shun-kun…_

"I hope you find someone who'll love you better than I can," Alice said with a small smile.

Shun nodded and patted her hair. "You should go inside," he said, "They might get worried about you."

Nodding Alice asked, "And you?"

"I wasn't joking when I said I was going to meditate," he shot her a look and she shrugged innocently as he disappeared into the trees.

"Dinner's at seven!" She shouted back at him.

Spectra stacked the last box on top of the others. He pulled back from the three boxes on top of one another and sighed. "Are these all Alice?"

The girl in question emerged from her room with a shoulder bag dangling from her left shoulder. "Do you want to put away more stuff?"

Shaking the blonde fringe from his eyes, Spectra replied, "No not really." He walked up to Alice and wrapped an arm at the small of her back. The other Brawlers left two days ago so the two could start packing their things; though Julie and Runo were quite reluctant to leave the two love birds alone, they relented otherwise. Marucho offered his jet to provide them safe passage to Wardington along with their belongings.

Alice flattened her palm against his chest and asked, "Are you sure about this Keith?"

Pushing back a stray hair from her face he replied, "I wouldn't want it any other way Alice."

"But they-,"

He cut her short by shushing her. He rested his forehead against hers as they silently swayed to the beat of some unheard music.

"I'm just scared, Keith," she whispered hoarsely. "What if they find out?"

"If they find out then we'll run off together," he told her boldly. "I'm of legal age, Alice, both here on Earth and in Vestal. Or do you not want that?"

Alice shook her head into his neck, her hair tickling his jaw. "It sounds awfully romantic."

His chuckled reverberated through his chest. "And when we're ready maybe we can get married."

Alice pulled away and her eyebrows came together. "Maybe?"

Chuckling he rested his forehead against hers again, "Okay, we're going to get married afterwards."

Without another thought, he pressed his lips against hers fully. Alice discarded her shoulder bag and let her hands wander through his blonde locks.

"Wow, you're such an aggressive one," he commented as he linked their lips again.

Alice smiled into his lips and he became bolder and his kisses became deeper and more passionate. "Aren't you too?" She teased him and he growled before kissing her again.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and they pulled apart but their foreheads were still together. Spectra smiled and said, "I think that's Marucho."

Alice nodded but made no move to answer the door. "Let him wait for a while."

"It's cold outside."

"He can handle it."

With a chuckle, Spectra pried off her hands on his nape and she pouted. Swooping down, he captured her lips once more in a short and chaste kiss.

"I'm starting to think I'm being a bad influence to you," he said.

Alice smiled at him. "You know what they say; the bad things are the best."

"I just hope the Brawlers understand," he says as he pokes her nose. He peels himself away from her. Heading to the door, Spectra arranged his hair.

"Hello, Marucho," Spectra greeted the smaller boy.

Marucho beamed at the other boy and said, "Are you and Alice ready?"

Nodding, Spectra moved away to let Marucho inside the house. "I'll just call Alice."

"No need!" Alice said as she came out of her room and intercepted them. "I'm ready!"

Spectra noted that she was hugging the photo album that they browsed together. A knowing glint passed his eyes and they boarded their boxes into the jet. After putting in the last of their belongings, Spectra and Alice contented themselves at the lounge area of Marucho's jet while the blonde kid stayed at the control room to learn how to fly the jet for when he was legal to drive.

Alice leaned her head on Spectra's shoulder and sighed. "Tired?" He asked.

She nodded and said, "The temporary residents don't look too responsible too."

"We can always take care of the damages," he comforted her with a rub on her upper arm as he stared into the distance. "For now, you should rest."

Nodding drowsily, Alice obeyed his command and took a nap.

Suddenly the screen in front of them buzzed and Runo's face appeared on the screen. Alice snapped awake as she turned to the screen. As much as Spectra wanted to frown, he didn't for the sake of decency.

"Hey Alice!" Runo greeted enthusiastically. "We're all excited to have you back!"

Alice smiled. "Thanks Runo. You aren't going to throw a surprise party for me when I get there won't you?"

Runo shook her head quite vehemently that Alice was a hundred and one percent sure that the blue haired Haos brawler had a party prepared for her when she landed in Wardington.

"Anyway, I just wanted to check on you guys," Runo changed the subject with a wave of her hand. Suddenly a mass of silver appeared on the screen and Julie's face was immediately shown. "Hey Keith! The guys can't wait to meet you!"

"Can it Julie!" Runo said as she shoved Julie out of the space. "Jeez! Dan and the others are so riled up. They really want to introduce you to the other members of the Battle Brawlers."

Since he's the one addressed to, Spectra spoke, "I see that you've made quite a lot of acquaintances since battling Naga."

Runo nodded before her gaze fell on the sleeping Alice. She smiled sheepishly. "I think Alice needs some rest before she lands here. I'll see you both here!"

With a small wave, Spectra watched the screen go blank. He sighed and stared at Alice. Looking at her made him feel a bit lethargic too so he leaned his head on hers and fell into sleep.

A polite knock on the door of the lounge woke Spectra up. He saw Alice still peacefully sleeping on his shoulder so he decided against waking her up. He turned to the door and muttered a soft, "Come in."

Marucho poked his head inside and walked in as quietly as possible. "We'll be landing in a few minutes. I didn't use the intercom because I figured you two didn't want to be disturbed." He added the last sentence abashedly.

Spectra smiled at Marucho and said, "Thank you. I'll wake Alice up."

After the small blonde Brawler left, he gently tapped Alice's shoulder. "Alice," he called softly.

The girl in question slightly opened her eyes and she looked up at Spectra. "Are we at Wardington now?" She asked.

He nodded and she moved away from him to stretch out her limbs. After landing, they are escorted into a room in the mansion as Marucho prepared to meet with the other brawlers. The room was quite dark and rather roomy.

"Are you familiar with Marucho's mansion Alice?" He asked her.

She chuckled and said, "This must be Runo's surprise."

Suddenly the lights all around them turned on and the couple were slightly blinded by it. Instinctively, Spectra grabbed Alice's hand. She noticed that their friends were all around them.

"Runo? Julie? What's going on here?" She asked them as she continued to shield her eyes with her free arm.

"Let go of Alice you dirty Vexos!" Julie shouted and the couple in front of them froze.

"Vexos?" Alice and Spectra muttered in unison.

"We know that you're the one who made Alice disappear into the other dimension!" Dan said with his hands closed into fists. "You're the one who killed her grandfather!"

"Dan, please calm down," Alice said in an attempt to calm her friends down.

"You knew about this all along Alice?" Runo asked in an incredulous voice. "You knew that he's a member of the Vexos and still you trust him?"

"For all we know he could have brain-washed you!" Julie added in an equally incredulous tone.

"He didn't!" She answered defensively. "Why won't you guys listen to me?"

"We don't trust him," this time it's Shun who spoke. "Move away from him Alice. We know everything about him now."

Marucho stepped forward with a clipboard in one hand and a small sphere on the other. He held up the small sphere and said, "We used this Bakugan to track down data from Vestal and I can't believe what he did to all of our Bakugans!"

"You're monsters!" Runo shouted. "I can't imagine what happened to Tigrera with you and your people polluting their home!"

Despite it all, Spectra was calm. "How did you find out?" He asked Marucho pointedly. "I'm quite sure inter-dimensional data cannot be accessed through manual means even with Helios in your hands."

"What do you take us for, children?" Klaus stepped in. "We may be lacking in age but our equipment are of the latest."

Marucho threw Helios to Spectra who caught it with ease. "You won't be able to use him," Marucho informed. "We reversed the program in him and rendered it useless. He's a mechanical Bakugan isn't he?"

"Alice, we know everything you both have to hide right now," Shun said, "So come back to us. We're where you belong after all."

Shun stepped forward with an outstretched arm. "Come on Alice. We can all start again."

How Alice wished that her bolder and tougher alter-ego Masquerade would appear and help her through this. She turned to Spectra and searched his eyes; was satisfied when she found what she needed in those sky blue eyes of his that she loves so much.

"_Trust me_," she knows that is what he would say if they were given the luxury of speaking to one another. But she didn't need him to verbally announce anything.

With a tight squeeze he let go of her hand and she immediately closed it, relishing the feeling of his fingers outlining hers.

* * *

><p><strong>So... who missed me? Hahaha!<strong>

**I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update! I haven't updated in what, years? Hahaha!**

**Anywho, I've pledged to finish the sequel this summer vacation so I hope you guys still look forward to it... =D**

**Thanks for the REVIEWS and once again I apologize for being on hiatus for so long... =D**

**So please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts about the fic (and of course this author) as it is greatly appreciated... =D**

**I'm planning on making a ChanxJoe one shot again since it's come to my attention that they're in need of more stuff like that... =D**

**So do any of you know EXO? All I have to say about them is... WHAT IS COMEBACK?! =D**

**Thanks for reading!**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


	9. You are everything to me

**Before I start this last chapter of the sequel, I would like to thank everyone who supported this story even though my long hiatus period...**

**Alas the story is coming to a close. To be honest, I've already conceptualized the ending and all but I thought of it again and again and again... =D**

**So much for my sense of stability... =D**

**So anyway I hope you enjoy this final chapter and I thank you all for your unmerited support even through the point of my hiatus. You guys are the best! =D**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

You are everything to me

Nearly everyone in the Marakura mansion was in complete distress.

Runo, Dan, Julie and Shun were looking into rooms; checking if Alice had hidden in there.

Marucho on the other hand, was in the control room where he checked each and every single security camera that was position strategically around the house. But so far he had no lead as to where she would have gone. Alice just suddenly disappeared from underneath her blanket and before they knew it, there was no more trace of her in the house anymore.

"She could have hidden a disguise behind under her blanket before she went inside her room," Shun had suggested before they went off looking for Alice. "I'm sure she knows how she can make her way around here even without us."

Marucho rubbed his eyes and studied the clips that are all over the screen. Runo had awakened at one in the morning and she had panicked when she didn't see Alice on her bed. Marucho had watched the video clip taken at Runo and Alice's shared bedroom a thousand times already but there were no apparent changes. Alice never got out of the bed and never stirred.

Or Alice had never been there in the first place.

Marucho suddenly jumped up when he saw Alice moving from under the sheets and then she stilled. A few more minutes later, Runo got up and went to the bathroom. Marucho rubbed his eyes and played it again. He couldn't believe he actually missed that small detail. He watched the time as it moved carefully. After nearly a second, the other time frame moved. It was a butler who was walking down the aisle. He rewound it again and played it. After precisely another second, another time frame showed another butler who walked out from a room.

Suddenly being so alert, Marucho paused and examined the hallway from where that butler came out of. He knew his house well; despite it being more like a theme park rather than a genuine home, he knew well that the hall the butler took does not lead to the door from which he came out from. Marucho was sure it's a bathroom because it's the one place they don't have surveillance cameras at. He sighed at his extremely lax observation of the frames.

And then everything was on a standstill. After a few hours, Spectra, who was locked inside one of the cages that Marucho had made for special reasons, suddenly disappeared. In between the first and the second seconds of his disappearance, there was nothing that could have alerted anyone that he'd be disappearing. One second he was there and the next, he was gone.

Marucho nearly tore off his hair out of frustration. He's a hundred percent sure that Alice and Spectra are together. What neither of them knew was where those two lovebirds actually went and how they managed to escape without arousing the security systems. Sure Alice had used a disguise and even Marucho has figured out by now that she's actually the butler who just popped out.

But how did she manage to get to that hallway so fast?

Suddenly he straightened up in his seat and snapped his fingers. "Why didn't I think of that before? Masquerade's teleportation card!"

He rushed out of the room and headed to the hall where the others were. Runo found him and asked, "What is it? Is there a lead to where Alice is now?"

"Alice isn't here!" Marucho exclaimed. "I'm sure you've all noticed that but she isn't here. She used Masquerade's teleportation card to get herself and Spectra out of here."

"So we need to stop wasting time here and start looking for her outside!" Dan who was at the stairs suddenly said.

"Well yeah but if you haven't noticed, Wardington is too damn big!" Runo exclaimed. "How are we going to find Alice in this really big city?!"

Suddenly Julie came out of one of the doors. "Guys! I heard that one of Marucho's experimental motorcycles were stolen!"

"But that's impossible! The cameras would have caught it!" Marucho protested. He should know; he'd been spending nearly an hour in front of the humongous screen.

"Or Alice was smart and planted a loop function into the camera," Shun said as he emerged from the same room Julie was in with a chip in hand.

"Alice sure is scary when she's not on our side," Dan said.

Runo's eyes visibly started to become wet. Alice's behavior denotes a strong sense of betrayal to the Haos brawler. First the girl had kept the fact that "Keith" is actually a Vestal who's responsible for the suffering of their Bakugans and her exile. Second, she _**allowed** _herself to fall in love with that creep despite knowing what he was. And third, she disregarded them all just to be with him.

Although Runo didn't know the extent of what they've been through, she still resents how Alice pushed them all away for Spectra's sake. And the guy wasn't even a decent replacement of Shun. Angrily wiping off the tears, she said, "She shouldn't be. None of these would have happened if that jerk Spectra didn't mess with anything."

"We can't do anything about that now," Julie said; apparently, she isn't too fazed by the situation. "Alice is old enough to know what decisions she should and she should not make. Maybe we should just leave her alone."

"This isn't some sort of romantic tragedy, Julie!" Runo snapped. "For all we know, Alice could be controlled by that creep! We need to save her from him and make sure that he doesn't get anywhere near her again."

"Runo's right," Dan nodded. "Besides, I'm sure Alice wouldn't pick that creep over us."

"What if Runo's theory is wrong?" Shun asked. They all turned to him in incredulity. Shun was the one who genuinely cares for Alice even though she's obviously chosen Spectra over him. "What if Alice really loves Spectra?"

Runo balled her fists. She couldn't accept that. She didn't like Spectra for Alice but when she heard the red head speak so fondly of her eccentric other-half, she almost changed her mind. Today was different.

"Then I guess we'll just have to knock some sense into her," Runo said.

Julie placed a hand on Runo's shoulder and said, "You can't dictate how Alice feels for Spectra. He might be evil and all but Alice saw something good in him; something that made her want to love him."

Runo didn't speak. "Let's just go and find them!"

"WAIT!" Marucho shouted as we went to the garage where they held the experimental motorcycles. Alice didn't know about them because Marucho had introduced them while she was still in Vestroia. The Aquos Brawler had prepared one for each of them as a coming-of-age gift. He went inside and checked the underside of the motorcycles. When he finally got up, his face was filled with extreme worry.

"What is it Marucho?" Dan asked.

"Alice took the motorcycle without the breaks!" Marucho exclaimed. "They're in danger. That one motorcycle is in for incineration."

"We need to hurry then," Shun said.

* * *

><p>Alice slid her arms into the fluffy coat that Spectra handed her. He was dressed in some thick clothing too. They discarded their previous clothes and hacked into Marucho's credit card to pay for their clothes. Alice smiled at Spectra through her glasses. Her hair was a dead give away so she tucked it behind a knitted bonnet.<p>

"You do realize that we can't leave Japan fully through that motorcycle right?" Spectra asked as he jerked his head to the motorcycle they have yet to ride.

"I'm sure we can figure something out," Alice smiled at him. "For now we should do everything we need to do before Marucho finds out we've been hacking into his credit card."

Spectra smiled as he handed her a cup of hot chocolate. "Seems like I've made you into quite the delinquent."

Alice smiled at that and replied, "I like it though."

"Are you sure about leaving your friends?" Spectra asked her again.

Alice sipped the chocolate slowly and said, "The can't understand what I..." she paused to correct herself. "We've been through, Keith. And to be honest, I don't really care about it."

"Are you really sure?" Spectra asked her once again. "We can't live a fully comfortable life together you know?"

The red head rolled her eyes. "I'll be stuck cooking for you and our kids who'll be forever outcasts because their dad is a Vestal but no one knows. I get it Keith."

Spectra briefly kissed her lips. "Let's not think about having children for now. I'd like to give you a life you deserve."

Alice blushed and she stood up. Her eyes widened when she saw the small white flakes descending from the heavens. She smiled and said, "Call me silly and stupid, but I would really want nothing more than a life spent with you."

At this Spectra scoffed as he directed Alice to the motorcycle. "You're silly and stupid."

Pouting, Alice picked up the helmet and handed it to Spectra who pushed it to her. "You wear it," he told her. "My head is actually harder than you'd like to think."

Alice pouted and was about to push the helmet back to Spectra when he put it on her head and strapped it safely. They mounted the motorcycle and Spectra pressed the button to make the motorcycle roar to life. "Do you know how to make this work?" Alice asked.

"There's an built-in map system," Spectra told her. "Where are we going to go?"

"Anywhere's fine as long as it's with you," Alice answered as she put her hands on Spectra's shoulder.

Spectra nodded and started pushing buttons to verify the coordinates and within seconds they were gone.

Alice clung onto Spectra for dear life. The motorcycle was going too fast and it didn't go unnoticed to the two of them. Spectra would glance at the mechanism in front of them to see if there was anything wrong with it, but he saw none.

The reached the intersection and thankfully the stoplight wasn't red on them otherwise they would have collided onto something or someone else. But that was hardly anything to be relieved about. There were three more stoplights and if one of those turned red and if Spectra still couldn't find out what was wrong, then they were in real trouble.

Alice tightened her hold on Spectra as they passed through the two other spotlights successfully. Though Spectra had a hunch that the last spotlight would betray them and turn red, he hoped that they'd be brought to a different direction.

The last spotlight turned yellow and Spectra knew that it would turn red before they could even reach it. Suddenly the mapping system blurted out, "Turn left at the intersection."

Heaving out a sigh of relief, Spectra obeyed the command and turned left. Alice nearly gasped when the wind rushed past her. It was cold, biting and scary. She was close to crying when Spectra cut her thoughts.

"Alice," he called.

The girl in questions tentatively raised her head to meet his. Her eyes widened when she saw that Spectra wasn't looking at the road and was focused on her. "Keith! Keep your eyes on the road!" She shouted over the harsh wind.

"Our brakes are broken."

She stared at him in disbelief. "What-,"

"This motorcycle must have been faulty," he told her plainly.

"What are we going to do then?" She asked him with tears springing to her eyes.

"We'll need to jump to a safe place," he told her. "We can't risk colliding into something or someone else."

Alice nodded. "I'm sorry Keith. I didn't know that this didn't have any brakes," she said.

"It's alright," Spectra said. "Right now, we need to get to safety."

Right after that though, a truck appeared right in front of them and in a moment of quick decisiveness, Spectra turned the motorcycle to the right. He didn't realize that there was a roadblock there. The last thing he heard was Alice's scream before they hit it.

Everything turned white in his eyes as he fought to swim out of unconsciousness. He could feel blood matting his pale blonde hair and pain rushing up and down his spine. Ignoring all those aches and pains in his body, Spectra looked for Alice.

Sure enough, he found her lying beside the fallen motorcycle. She's unconscious and he can't tell if she's bleeding somewhere or not. He tried to move but found out that his lower body is numb. He could feel the engine smashing his back. Nonetheless, he pulled out an envelope from his pocket, staining it with red, and put it in Alice's hand.

He smiled sullenly. "I'm sorry Alice..." he muttered. "I... I love you... very much..."

And then he could fight the oblivion consuming him so quickly. He bowed his head and closed his eyes.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Alice..."

* * *

><p>Runo paced back and forth in the hospital room. They'd managed to track down the faulty motorcycle yet it was too late.<p>

Alice wasn't bleeding when they found her but that was worse. Spectra, as much as they hated him, was rushed to the hospital too.

"Calm down Runo." Dan called out as he reached out to take her hand.

"Calm down?" The rage she'd been keeping down since Alice's disappearance was at its highest point. "HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN ALICE'S CONDITION IS STILL CRITICAL?!"

"The doctors are doing whatever they can," Dan told her in a (surprisingly) calm tone. "We're all worried about Alice too." When Runo's bottom lip quivered, Dan wrapped his arms around her. "None of this is your fault Runo."

Finally, Runo broke down into tears. She collapsed on the chair with Dan who combed her hair gently. Julie watched the couple and said, "What are we going to do when Alice wakes up?"

She received no response until Shun opened his eyes. "She shouldn't be reminded of this. If she is what do you think she'll do?"

Julie turned to Shun and asked, "What about her beloved Keith then?"

Shun stayed quiet and Marucho knew that it was his cue. "I've asked our engineers to repair the dimensional transporter so we can bring Spectra back to where he belongs. We need to remove all traces of him here while Alice is still unconscious."

"What if she remembers him?" Julie asked. "It'll take more than just an accident to make her forget about him."

Everything is silent until the door to the emergency room opens. A doctor, whose clothes were stained with blood and smelled of antiseptic came out and said, "Miss Alice Gehabich?"

All five stood up and waited for the doctor to tell his news.

"Miss Gehabich suffered from a head trauma and internal bleeding. She's stabilized now but she may not regain consciousness for a while." He flipped the papers on his clipboard and his apathy really scared the younger ones. "As for her companion, he's dead."

He had said it so instantaneously that the five Brawlers thought that they'd heard him wrong. "What?" Julie gasped.

"His spine got crushed and his lungs were punctured by his fractured ribs. On top of that he bled quite profusely, so there wasn't much we could do." He said plainly. Death wasn't uncommon in the hospital after all.

"Who are relatives of the young man?" He asked.

At first they were all reluctant to answer, Spectra was from Vestal after all. But then Marucho stepped up and had an upset look on his face. "He's my cousin."

The doctor nodded and then asked, "And Ms. Gehabich's relatives?"

Before Runo could reply, Shun stepped up and said, "Her grandparents are dead. I'm her boyfriend."

The only indication of the doctor's surprise was a raised eyebrow. He cleared his throat and said, "Well, Ms. Gehabich was moved into a room of her own. You can visit her there." He pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper smeared with dried blood and handed it to Shun. "She had it in her hand when she was rushed here. I assume that it's for you."

Shun took the letter and put it in his pocket. He would save it for later.

The doctor turned to the tiny Marucho and said, "If you'll follow me Mr... uh..."

"Marucho," the Aquos brawler supplied, "Marucho Marakura."

Clearing his throat, the doctor nodded. "Yes Mr. Marakura. Please follow me to sign the necessary papers. You need to call your parents too."

"Do you want me to join you Marucho?" Julie offered.

Marucho nodded weakly and Julie quickly went up to him. They disappeared into the emergency room along with the doctor.

With a nurse's guidance, Shun, Dan and Runo went to Alice's room. The red head looked paler and weaker with all those medical apparatuses attached to her petite body. She has an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth and a heart monitor at the left side of her bed.

Runo sniffled a bit before she excused herself to call her parents. Dan did the same since he knew that Shun wasn't in the mood for talking; he just said that he's going to look for something to eat.

Shun appreciated the silence. He didn't want to share the letter with anyone else after all. He wearily sat on a chair by Alice's bedside and studied her for a moment.

"If you hadn't met him," he said slowly as he tried to control his rage. "If you hadn't met that Vestal you wouldn't be like this. You'd be happy. Your grandfather would still be alive and you'd never have to cry..."

He sighed and pulled out the letter from his pocket. He unfolded it and frowned.

It was a letter meant for Alice.

Suddenly his kept rage was boiling. He would have crumpled the piece of paper if his curiosity wasn't stronger.

The letter said:

_Alice,_

_If you're reading this letter, then I am sure you hate me. I'm sorry but I cannot let waste your life with someone like me._

_To be honest, I was debating on whether I should write this letter to you or not. Reading this letter might give you hope, hope that I know will make you dumb and chase after me._

_But when you've read this letter, I'd have cut all ties with you. You know my capabilities and you know that I am able to make myself hidden to you._

_I want you to go back to your friends and pretend as if the whole fiasco in Vestal had never happened. I know it'll be hard for you to forget and even harder for your to forgive and to tell you the truth, I know it's close to impossible._

_I've been selfish when it comes to matters concerning you. I've killed your grandfather (please don't convince yourself that it wasn't my fault because it is), I took you away from your friends and I let you wither in the hands of Prince Hydron. What's worse is I made you fall in love with me. It's not that I overestimate my Vestal charms; it's just that... it happened and I have no other way of explaining it._

_So let me be selfish one more time: forget me._

_You're a very smart girl Alice and I'm afraid my influence has made you do brash decisions that are obviously not good for you._

_I loved you Alice. I know I should not be disclosing my feelings to you because I don't want you to chase after me, but I really want to tell you that._

_I loved, love, and will always love you. But common sense tells me to let you go and I don't care if I tread a lonely life. I'm letting you go. As much as you hold onto me, I will brush you off. If I have to hurt you, like now, just so you'll forget me, then I will do so._

_I love you, too much that I need to leave you. I'm bad for you Alice, can't you see that?_

_Farewells are bittersweet so they say, but for us, perhaps it's best if we leave it as bitter._

_Before I bid you farewell forever though, I would like you to know..._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_You are **everything** to me, Alice Gehabich._

_But now, I leave you in capable hands. Farewell._

Shun swallowed and turned to Alice who's sleeping soundly on the pale hospital bed. He crumpled the paper with one hand and turned to the blazing fire of the fireplace at the wall. Without a second thought he threw it into the fire.

_Alice... doesn't need to know of you anymore._

Shun's fists tightened as his breathing turned even once more.

_I can be better than him, Alice._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_You've **always been everything**__to me, Alice Gehabich._

* * *

><p><strong>FIN!<em><br>_**

**So yeah I'm sorry about the ending...**

**Was it just me or did Spectra sound a bit... masochistic and more like a martyr in his letter?**

**I'm very sorry for that. I just ran out of ideas...**

**I hope you guys won't kill me after what I've done to the story...**

**Initially, it really had a tragic ending but then when I came back and you guys were sending your REVIEWS that I really love so much, so I had a split decision...**

**The happy ending seemed too... short and unsatisfying for my tastes since they lived happily ever after and all that...**

**So I decided to go through the sad ending...**

**I'm mentally and psychologically prepared for your negative comments... Also please tell me if I should delete this story because it ruined the prequel that was just fine until they had to be transported to Earth...**

**If you're a ShunxAlice fan and you're reading this, I apologize for making Shun look like a bad guy. I like Shun to be honest, I'm not just really good at writing stories of him and Alice like 'crystal-mist' for example (of course she's wa~y better than me in terms of writing).**

**If I let you down in this fic, please feel free to REVIEW. If I made your reading experience miserable, please feel free to REVIEW. If you want me to completely stop writing then find someone else to talk to... =D**

**Anyway you guys know the drill. Please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest and darkest thoughts regarding the fic. I know you guys are probably angry so I apologize.**

**So, someone by the username of 'pooch pooch' asked me to revive one of my previously deleted ShunxAlice fic entitled "The Race". And after having my consciousness haunted by the fic in itself, I have decided to give it another chance. I'll probably update it along with my AU entitled "A series of events that led to one end".**

**So much for my extremely long Author's note... =D**

**CIAO!**

**I'll see you guys in between lines again! =D**

**chquine_harvinellisse**


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